Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry announced Monday evening that his wife’s charitable foundation will cover the funeral and burial costs for the eight children killed in Sunday’s mass shooting in Shreveport, a gesture the city’s mayor described as a meaningful source of comfort during an almost unbearable period of grief.
Landry said the idea came from First Lady Sharon Landry, who proposed using the Love One Louisiana Foundation, which she founded to support food banks and victims of the Bourbon Street terrorist attack in January 2025, to absorb the costs for the families. “Both she and I recognise that no amount of money or act of charity can repair the pain,” Landry said at a press conference. “But what we can lean on is that this act of charity can stand as a beacon of faith and belief that good things still happen in this world.”
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux, who said he had endured a “very difficult” two days at the scene of the shooting, called the announcement a welcome end to an extraordinarily painful day. “It means a lot to the people of Shreveport. It means a lot to the people of Louisiana,” Arceneaux said. “That the governor and first lady have stepped up to assist at a very difficult time for our city means a great deal.”
Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said the events of Sunday morning “will go down in history as one of the worst days that could have ever happened here in Shreveport.” The suspect, Shamar Elkins, was killed in a confrontation with law enforcement after allegedly shooting eight children, seven of his own and one nephew, ranging in age from three to 11, as well as injuring two adult women including the children’s mother.
