Story perspectives

Louisiana Flags Half-Staff for Eight Children Killed

5/10/2026

Center

Governor Landry Orders Half-Staff

Governor Jeff Landry ordered flags at half-staff for eight days to honor the eight children killed in the Shreveport shooting.
Police fatally shot Shamar Elkins after he killed seven children and their cousin in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 19.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux led a prayer at the May 9 funeral in Summer Grove Baptist Church.
Investigation remains ongoing after Elkins used an assault-style weapon despite a 2019 felony firearms conviction.

Right

Investigators Indict Firearms Ring

Federal investigators indicted Charles Ford for supplying the assault rifle and Michael Mayence for illegal firearm possession.
Shamar Elkins’s shooting in Shreveport injured his wife, his girlfriend, and a 12-year-old girl, prompting a police investigation.
Two women—Elkins’s wife and his girlfriend—survived gunshot wounds, while a 12-year-old girl escaped by jumping from a roof, police said.
Pastor Kim Burrell told mourners that God remains on the throne despite the tragedy.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux and Governor Tom Landry urged residents to honor the children through joy.

Blindspot

Center coverage emphasized Governor Jeff Landry’s directive to lower U.S. and state flags to half-staff for eight days, a detail not included in Right coverage.
Center coverage also highlighted that Elkins had a 2019 felony firearms conviction and that the shooting investigation remains ongoing, which receives little attention in the Right summary.

History

Historical Context

On April 20 1999, seniors Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 students and a teacher at Columbine High School, prompting President Bill Clinton to order national half-staff flags and spurring reforms in school security and police response. Twenty-five years later, Governor Jeff Landry issued an eight-day half-staff order after the April 19 2024 Shamar Elkins shooting in Shreveport, echoing the earlier state-level mourning.

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Governor Landry Orders Half-Staff

Governor Jeff Landry ordered flags at half-staff for eight days to honor the eight children killed in the Shreveport shooting.
Police fatally shot Shamar Elkins after he killed seven children and their cousin in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana, on April 19.
Mayor Tom Arceneaux led a prayer at the May 9 funeral in Summer Grove Baptist Church.
Investigation remains ongoing after Elkins used an assault-style weapon despite a 2019 felony firearms conviction.

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