New details about Louisiana gunman’s mental health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba2PXBMucfI

New reporting says Louisiana gunman Shamar Elkins had recently sought mental health treatment through Veterans Affairs and had been hospitalized for about a week and a half in January. Family members also said he had been struggling with suicidal thoughts and “dark thoughts” in the months before the shooting.

What relatives said

His brother-in-law told reporters Elkins seemed better when he returned home, but the family believed his mental health had been worsening again before the attack. That account lines up with other reporting that described recent treatment, family stress, and signs of instability leading up to the shooting.

Why it matters

The new details suggest this was not a sudden event but one that followed visible warning signs and recent intervention. It also raises broader questions about how mental health crises, firearms access, and domestic conflict can overlap in deadly ways.