I THOUGHT HE WAS PRAYING — NEIGHBOR RECALLS THE 7 MINUTES OF SILENCE BEFORE SHAMAR ELKINS RETURNED TO THE SECOND HOUSE
A neighbor living just 200 meters away says she saw Shamar Elkins standing alone outside his vehicle for nearly 7 minutes, completely motionless. No phone. No movement. Just silence.
Seconds later, he allegedly drove to the second location where tragedy struck again.
👉 But what she noticed in his hands during that silence has now become a key focus of investigators

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Neighbor Reports 7 Minutes of Stillness Before Shamar Elkins Drove to Second Location — and a Detail in His Hands Is Now Under Investigation

A neighbor living roughly 200 meters away from the scene says she observed Shamar Elkins standing completely still outside his vehicle for several minutes before the next tragic incident unfolded.

According to the witness, Elkins appeared to remain motionless for nearly seven minutes. She described a moment of unusual stillness, saying he did not appear to be using his phone, pacing, or interacting with anyone nearby. The scene, she said, was unsettling in its quietness.

“I thought he was praying,” the neighbor reportedly told investigators, recalling how the figure stood in silence near the vehicle in the dim light before eventually moving again.

Moments after that period of stillness, Elkins allegedly got into the vehicle and drove to a second location where another violent incident later occurred, according to early accounts being reviewed by authorities.

Investigators say the timeline between those two locations is now a key focus of their reconstruction of events.

What happened during those seven minutes has become one of the most closely examined gaps in the sequence, particularly because no phone activity or visible communication has been confirmed during that period.

The neighbor’s statement is now part of a wider set of witness accounts being analyzed by detectives. Investigators often rely on such observations to establish behavioral patterns, movement, and potential intent leading up to critical moments in a case.

However, one detail from the witness account has drawn particular attention from law enforcement.

The neighbor told authorities she noticed something in Elkins’ hands during the period of stillness, though she could not immediately identify what it was. That observation has since become a central point of interest for investigators, who are now attempting to clarify what, if anything, he was holding.

Officials have not publicly confirmed what the object may have been, and forensic and testimonial evidence is still being reviewed to determine whether it is relevant to the case.

Investigators are cautious about drawing conclusions based on a single witness description, especially when visibility conditions, distance, and lighting may affect perception. Even so, they consider such details important when piecing together a precise timeline.

The reported sequence suggests Elkins was stationary for several minutes before leaving the area and traveling to a second location where the next incident allegedly occurred. Authorities are now working to confirm exact timestamps using surveillance footage, vehicle data, and possible digital tracking records.

In many investigations, moments of apparent inactivity can be just as significant as moments of action. A pause in movement may indicate waiting, communication, or preparation, but without corroborating evidence, it remains open to interpretation.

Detectives are also examining whether any surveillance cameras from nearby homes or roads captured Elkins during the reported seven-minute period. Even partial footage could help confirm whether he was standing still, moving, or interacting with something outside the vehicle.

Vehicle data, if available, may also provide insight into ignition status, door activity, or movement patterns during that time.

At this stage, investigators have not released details about what Elkins may have been doing during the pause or whether the item reportedly seen in his hands has been identified.

The case remains under active review as authorities attempt to reconstruct events leading up to the second location.

For now, the neighbor’s account stands as one of the most detailed eyewitness observations of the timeline — a moment of silence, a stationary figure, and a question that remains unanswered.

What exactly happened during those seven minutes is now one of the key uncertainties investigators are working to resolve.