Louisiana Man Charged with False Statements in Connection to Shreveport Mass Shooting

A Louisiana man has been charged with federal offenses, including making false statements to authorities, in connection with a mass shooting that claimed the lives of eight children in Shreveport. Charles Ford, 56, initially denied possessing the firearm that authorities believe was used by Shamar Elkins in the tragic incident. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Louisiana’s Western District, Ford later admitted to having the gun and suspected that Elkins had taken it.

Court documents reveal that a woman had given Ford a Mossberg pistol while she was hospitalized last year. During an interview with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Ford initially denied having the weapon, citing his criminal history as a reason for not possessing it. However, in a subsequent interview, he confessed to keeping the pistol in his truck and noticed it was missing on March 9. Ford believed that Elkins, one of the few individuals who had access to his truck, had stolen the weapon. When confronted, Elkins reportedly became "offensive," leading Ford to drop the matter.

Ford has prior convictions, including simple robbery in 2000 and domestic abuse battery in 2011. Elkins, a former National Guardsman, had a 2019 conviction for illegal use of a firearm, which likely prohibited him from legally owning firearms. Authorities have stated that Elkins was the father of seven of the eight children he fatally shot in Shreveport; the eighth victim was a cousin. Elkins also seriously injured his wife and another woman, believed to be his girlfriend, before fleeing the scene. He died nearby after a confrontation with police, during which he had carjacked a person at gunpoint. It remains unclear whether Elkins died by suicide or was fatally shot by police.