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By Andy Rose, Lauren Mascarenhas, Isabel Rosales, Caroll Alvarado, CNN

(CNN) — On Easter Sunday, Shamar Elkins posed for a photo with his seven children in their matching church outfits – most of the girls in white button-down sweaters with pink stripes, the boys in sky blue polos. One daughter gives an electric grin, framed underneath two green hair bows.

Elkins stretched his hands behind them, enveloping his kids like a big hug. On Facebook, he said it was the first time he had all of his children together at church.

Two weeks later, police say, those same hands pulled the trigger that took all of their lives and that of along with one of their cousins in a murderous spree that shocked Shreveport.

So many futures cut short. So many questions.

“The children were children,” neighbor Freddie Montgomery told CNN. “They were children playing in the yard every day.”

By Monday, a memorial on the front lawn of the home had been built from brightly colored balloons, striped pinwheels and stuffed animals of all kinds – a tribute to the young children who used to play there.

Ordinary children – from 3 to 11 years old – now part of a story that is both extraordinary and far too common. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in the United States.

As their mothers – who were also injured in the attack – recover, the eight children who were killed are being remembered for their vibrant spirits and love for life.

“These were eight babies. Eight precious babies,” said Troy Brown, the father of the eighth victim. “So, no – I’m not okay.”

‘I’ve lost eight parts of me’

Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, was the cousin of the seven siblings killed in the attack. His mother Keosha Pugh and Elkins’ estranged wife are sisters. Keosha broke her pelvis and hip after jumping off a roof with her daughter Mar’Kianna while fleeing the gunfire, her husband said, and is recovering.

“I’m never gonna get to throw the football with him again,” his father, Brown, said in tears Monday.

Brown said he helped raise Mar’Kaydon’s cousins and is mourning the loss of all the children.

“I’ve lost eight parts of me, because I loved each and every one of them like they were my own and I took care of them like they were my own,” Brown said.

Sisters who loved dancing, laughter and unicorns

Brown says the home he shared with Keosha Pugh, his sister-in-law Shaneiqua Pugh, his brother-in-law Shamar Elkins and six of the children was never quiet. Before the attack that robbed the home of joy and life, it pulsed with noise, laughter and movement.

Some of the loudest were sisters Jayla Elkins, 3; Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; and Layla Pugh, 7.

They filled the rooms with singing and dancing, sometimes bursting out with the random Gen Alpha chant of “6-7,” a phrase only they seemed to fully understand. The girls would spend hours filming TikToks, turning mundane daily moments into something playful and childlike.

“They loved to move around and have fun,” Brown told CNN.

They shared everything – toys, space and attention. The sisters were obsessed with Lilo & Stitch and Hello Kitty. Jayla adored unicorns. Shayla was more reserved, often scrolling quietly on her phone. Layla and Kayla took pride in helping around the house, quick to respond “okay uncle” whenever Brown asked the

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By Avni Trivedi, CNN

(CNN) — The last row of economy are the airplane seats few people want to sit in. There’s no room to recline your seat and the constant line for the bathroom — not to mention the smell — can be overwhelming.

But what if the space could be transformed into something more appealing?

Imagine a secluded pod, screened off from aisle or bathroom noise and built to give you more space for carry-on luggage.

If this sounds appealing, Collins Aerospace agrees.

The aviation design company has flipped the script, taking this last-choice seat and making it one worth fighting for.

Its new “SkyNook” concept, showcased at this year’s Aircraft Interiors Expo in in Hamburg, Germany, reimagines the narrower rear of widebody planes where, in twin-aisle configurations, some rows can only accommodate a double seat rather than a triple.

The design creates what’s described as a “semi-private retreat” — a cocoon-like seating arrangement not entirely dissimilar to more upscale offerings at the front of the plane, where first-class flyers can often close the door on their fellow passengers.

While the seats look similar to normal economy class fixtures, SkyNook makes use of the space between the window seat and the plane’s sidewall, offering enough room to secure a baby carrier or a space for a pet, or to flex as a place to work or dine.

There’s also a sliding divider that provides a privacy barrier from the aisle and, according to the manufacturer, reduces noise from the galley and bathroom. There’s no word on whether it can repel unwanted odors.

Jefferey McKee, director of customer experience design at Collins Aerospace, said the concept was part of his company’s mission to improve air travel for passengers.

“SkyNook exemplifies this commitment, transforming a frequently overlooked area into a serene retreat that maximizes functionality, comfort and flexibility for families, passengers with service animals or those with sensory considerations,” he said in a press release.

The SkyNook claimed first place in the passenger comfort category of the Crystal Cabin Award, which recognizes innovative airplane cabin products and concepts at the Hamburg expo.

SkyNook has already generated a positive online stir, with one user on Reddit saying they “love that the extra space area by (the) cabin wall can be for so many different uses.”

The new seat design comes alongside other innovations that could make economy air travel more bearable. These include the double-level seat concept, Chaise Longue, the latest iteration of which was also showcased in Hamburg.

And then there’s Air New Zealand’s recently launched “Economy Skynest” bunk beds, which offer a place to lie down for a few hours during long-haul flights on the airline’s new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

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CNN

By Brian Stelter, CNN

(CNN) — Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have cleared the way for CNN, HBO and Warner’s other media brands to join Paramount Skydance later this year.

Shareholders “overwhelmingly” voted in support of the takeover deal, WBD said after a pro forma special meeting took place on Thursday morning.

The vote was anticlimactic, but still a crucial moment in the monthslong struggle for control of WBD, one of the biggest media companies in the world.

Paramount, led by CEO David Ellison, still has to secure regulatory approval in the United States and other countries, but company executives are optimistic that they’ll be able to complete the deal in the third quarter of the year, meaning by the end of September.

“Shareholder approval marks another important milestone towards completing our acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, building on our successful equity and debt syndications and progress across regulatory approvals,” Paramount said in a statement.

“We look forward to closing the transaction in the coming months and realizing the creation of a next-generation media and entertainment company that better serves both the creative community and consumers,” the company added.

A year ago, WBD stock was trading at about $8 per share. Paramount is offering $31 per share, so the deal has been a no-brainer for many investors.

However, it has been a source of intense controversy in Hollywood and beyond, with some entertainment industry veterans warning against media consolidation and some activists criticizing Paramount’s close ties to President Donald Trump.

Opponents of the deal held a “block the merger” protest outside WBD headquarters on Thursday morning shortly before the vote.

The opponents are urging state attorneys general in states like California and New York to challenge the deal on antitrust grounds.

Several attorneys general offices have said they are closely examining the deal, partly out of a belief that the Trump administration’s federal regulators will give Paramount the green light for political reasons.

European regulatory bodies are also reviewing Paramount-WBD and may demand that Paramount divest some assets in order to secure the necessary approvals.

Paramount executives have bet that they’ll win all the necessary approvals swiftly: The WBD deal terms include a so-called “ticking fee” that increases the price per share if the deal isn’t finalized by September 30.

While shareholders easily advanced the Paramount deal, they did not approve the other measure that was up for a vote on Thursday. That one focused on compensation packages for outgoing WBD CEO David Zaslav and other executive officers.

The payout to Zaslav could total as much as $886 million, which would be “one of the highest golden parachutes ever observed,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

The compensation package proposal “did not receive sufficient votes and did not pass,” a represent