Shreveport Man Arrested and Charged in Connection with Shamar Elkins Securing Firearm to Commit Mass Shooting

SHREVEPORT- On April 21, 2026, the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana charged Charles Ford, a 56-year-old Shreveport resident, by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm and making a false statement to federal agents, with the firearm and false statement charges relating to a firearm that Shamar Elkins used to perpetrate his April 19 mass shooting. Ford faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the felon-in-possession charge and up to five years in federal prison for the false statement charge.

"Words fall short in the face of the acts Shamar Elkins perpetrated in Shreveport on April 19-they are beyond comprehension or description. Our law enforcement partners are investigating every angle of how this tragedy came to occur, and this case arises from that investigation-in particular, how Elkins secured a firearm that he used to execute his own children," said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. "Elkins' death means that our community will never see him face justice. Our hope, as we continue to investigate and prosecute this case alongside our law enforcement partners, is that holding the person whose gun Elkins used to perpetrate the crime accountable will give some small bit of solace to our Shreveport community."

"The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives ("ATF") is engaged and committed to holding people accountable for illegal possession and use of firearms that harm our community," said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. "Holding people accountable does not stop with the person who pulled the trigger but also includes those who give access to and proliferate firearms that are later used in violent crime."

According to allegations set forth in court documents, ATF and the Shreveport Police Department began investigating a firearms trace on the rifle below, which Elkins used to perpetrate his mass shooting:

When law enforcement interviewed the original purchaser, that person identified Ford as the person to whom she'd given it. Ford, a convicted felon not permitted to possess firearms, initially lied to ATF agents about possessing the firearm, claiming he never did. Ford later admitted that he did possess the firearm, claiming that he kept the firearm under his seat. Ford further admitted to believing that Elkins took possession of the firearm.

U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.

ATF investigated this case alongside the Louisiana State Police, Shreveport Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.govLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacerLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. The case number for this matter is 26-mj-00104-01.

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