The city of Shreveport is still grieving after eight children killed in an April 19 mass shooting were remembered in a deeply emotional funeral service on Saturday.

Faith leaders, politicians, and community members gathered at Summer Grove Baptist Church to honor the children, who were identified as seven siblings and their cousin. 

The service was held during Mother’s Day weekend, adding another layer of heartbreak to a day already filled with loss. Mourners filed past eight white caskets decorated with large photos of the children, while gold crowns, and white flowers were placed on top. According to AP, the children were remembered with prayers, songs, and a crowning ceremony meant to symbolize eternal life. 

Pastor and gospel singer Kim Burrell told the congregation that “God is still on the throne,” while Bishop Bernard Kimble encouraged mourners to hold on to faith even in the face of unimaginable pain. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux also spoke, saying the children’s “presence was a gift” and that their absence is now “deeply felt.” 

The children, ranging in age from 3 to 11, were killed in a domestic shooting that police say was carried out by their father, Shamar Elkins, who also wounded two women and a 12-year-old girl before dying after a police pursuit. AP reported that the attack is the deadliest mass shooting in the United States in more than two years. 

The funeral also became a moment of collective witness, with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords among those in attendance and Gov. Jeff Landry ordering flags to half-staff in their honor. The message from the service was clear: these children mattered, their lives mattered, and their memory will not be reduced to tragic headlines.