Shamar Elkins fatally shoots eight children in Shreveport, Louisiana before being killed by police
On Sunday morning, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins shot and killed eight children, including seven of his own, at two homes in Shreveport, Louisiana. He also critically wounded two women, identified as his wife and another woman. After fleeing and carjacking a vehicle, Elkins died following a police pursuit, though it remains unclear whether he was killed by officers or died by suicide.
48
Divergence score
This event sits in the top 2% of divergence this week. 7 outlets covered it, splitting into 7 framing camps across 4 bias groups.
7 camps
4 bias groups
The spectrum · how 7 outlets placed this story
LeftCenterRight
NY Post
Washington Examiner
Al Jazeera
PBS NewsHour
Breitbart
AP News
CNN
Supportive of action
Neutral
Dismissive
Critical
Alarmist
International angle
Widest split · the two outlets furthest apart, and who published first
Furthest apart on this story
NY Post
A single child survived Louisiana killer dad Shamar Elkins' rampage after making horrifying jump from roof
Survivor drama and perpetrator characterization
CNN
Big smiles and bigger hearts: These are the 8 children killed in the Shreveport mass shooting - CNN
humanizing the child victims
First to report
- NY Postfirst
- Washington Examiner+4.1 h
- Al Jazeera+4.5 h
- Breitbart+5.0 h
- PBS NewsHour+7.7 h
- CNN+72.8 h
By each outlet's earliest publish time in this story. Feeds that index slowly can appear later than they printed.
The split, in one line
Some outlets focus on domestic violence and gun access failures; others on a prior gun conviction or the deadliest mass shooting in two years; CNN shifts to humanizing the eight child victims, steering readers toward grief and empathy over policy debate.
How each outlet covered it
Three ways of telling it
The center isn't splitting the difference here: it's making its own case, alongside the flanks.
Divergence48
THE LEFT
“Big smiles and bigger hearts: These are the 8 children killed in the Shreveport mass shooting - CNN”CNN CNN LEFT
THE CENTER
“Louisiana mass shooting: What we know about suspect, eight children killed”AJ Al Jazeera INTERNATIONAL
THE RIGHT
“A single child survived Louisiana killer dad Shamar Elkins' rampage after making horrifying jump from roof”NYP NY Post RIGHT
+Hide the full sourcingSee how all 7 outlets put it
CENTER2
PBSPBS NewsHour Killing of 8 children in Louisiana renews focus on domestic violence involving guns 144d ago APAP News What to know about a Louisiana father fatally shooting 8 children, including his own RIGHT3
NYPNY Post A single child survived Louisiana killer dad Shamar Elkins' rampage after making horrifying jump from roof 144d ago WEWashington Examiner Eight children dead in Louisiana domestic violence killing spree: What to know 144d ago BBreitbart Report: Gunman Who Killed Eight Children Was Given Probation for Gun Charge in 2019 Plea Deal 144d ago 8 tracked claims across 7 outlets
Fact ledger
All8Disputed1Claimed4Corroborated3
1/7
Disputed
The ages of the eight children killed ranged from 1 to 14 years old.
Corroborated
Disputed
7 more tracked claimsSign up free to see the full ledger