In the early hours of April 19, a mother in Shreveport was rushed to the hospital after her husband shot her and killed eight children, according to police.
Some of her kids were among those killed. Her family initially kept that news from her, said her cousin, Francine Monro Brown, because of the risk of a rare and sometimes deadly heart condition that can be triggered by severe emotional stress. Police have not yet identified the mother. She was shot multiple times and was still in the hospital on April 22, her family said.
Nearly 200,000 adults were hospitalized between 2016 to 2020 for the condition, known as "broken heart syndrome," says a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. It can strike suddenly and cause serious complications, according to the study's author, Dr. Mohammad Reza Movahed, an interventional cardiologist.
"It's a very serious illness because once you develop this, you can actually die," Movahed said.
The syndrome occurs when part of the heart stops working because of intense stress, Movahed said. This could happen after someone gets good news, like winning the lottery, or tragic news, like a death in the family. In the Louisiana case, the victims included Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; and Braylon Snow, 5. Shamar Elkins also shot a second woman, who survived. Police have not identified her.
