Did Shamar Elkins have mental health issues? Shreveport shooter's old prayer viral; ‘when anger rises…’

Shamar Elkins, suspected of killing 8 children in Shreveport, was fatally shot by police; reports suggest possible mental health struggles.

With Shamar Elkins identified as the suspect in the mass shooting at Shreveport, Louisiana, on Sunday morning, more and more details of the 31-year-old man are emerging. The source of majority of information about the Army veteran is his Facebook profile, where he regularly posts updates from his life.

Shamar Elkins (L) and people gather outside the home in Shreveport where Elkins fatally shot eight children (R). (Shamar Elkins on Facebook and AP)

Wilkins shot eight children dead and injured two women, one of whom is critical, before being fatally shot in a police chase in Shreveport. In the backdrop of the tragic incident, the New York Post reports that Shamar Elkins may have been suffering from mental health struggles.

The outlet notes that in the caption of a recent Facebook post, addressed as a prayer, Elkins prayed God to "guard his mind." Though it is unclear what the prayer was about, the New York Post reports that it may have been about his mental health struggles. Notably, as of now, the authorities in Shreveport have not confirmed if Elkins was struggling with his mental health and if that has anything to do with the incident.

“Dear God, Today I ask You to help me guard my mind and my emotions,” the post from April 9 read. “When negativity arises, remind me to say, ‘It does not belong to me, in the name of Jesus.’

“When depression tries to settle in, when anger rises, when anxiety or panic comes, give me the awareness to recognize what is not from You and the strength to reject it immediately in the name of JESUS,” he added.

Deceased Children Frequently Featured On Social Media

Authorities have confirmed that some of the children fatally shot by Shamar Elkins were his "descendants." The two women who have been injured were also related to Elkins, Shreveport police said, though they did not clarify how.

Elkins frequently posted about his family and children on his Facebook profile. Just hours before the shooting on Sunday morning, he shared a photo of himself visiting a burger joint with his eldest daughter. Last week, he posted a photo with his seven children, saying in the caption that the photo was from just after his visit to the church for Easter with the children.

In one of his recent posts, he also hinted at marriage troubles. He wrote: “Dads, if you could go back in time and have kids with a different woman but still have the same kids, would you do it?” The details of the trouble, if any, remains unclear.

Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux, meanwhile, told CNN that it is unclear as yet if Elkins died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds or was shot dead by deputies. No officers were injured in the response.