Austin, Texas – A 34-year-old man has been arrested after a daylong shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of six people and injuries to three others in Austin and San Antonio.. The suspect, identified as Shane James Jr., has been taken into custody and charged with capital murder. The authorities believe that James also killed his parents in the San Antonio area.
The victims in San Antonio were identified as Shane James Sr., 56, and Phyllis James, 55. According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, James, 34, is suspected of killing his parents with a large caliber handgun sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. The bodies were discovered on Tuesday evening.
In Austin, four people were killed, and two police officers were shot. The deceased have been identified as Emmanuel Pop Ba and Sabrina Rahman, and the identities of the other two victims have not been released. The shootings took place at different locations.
Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson revealed that the suspect was apprehended after crashing his vehicle while attempting to flee from a shootout with a police officer. The officer sustained multiple gunshot wounds but is in stable condition.
The suspect is currently in custody pending trial, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to determine the motive behind the attacks.
The suspect, Shane James Jr., has a prior record and was previously arrested in January 2022 on three charges of assault, bodily injury of a family member. Court documents indicate that he pushed his parents during the incident. Although the charges were initially misdemeanors, James’ family stated that he had mental health issues and should not be in jail, prompting a change in his bond conditions.
In August, deputies responded to a call at the James residence due to a mental health episode involving the suspect. James locked himself in a room but did not pose a direct threat to the deputies. However, a warrant for his arrest was obtained when he removed his ankle monitor in March 2022.
Authorities acknowledge that they had limited information about James’ potential for extreme violence and emphasized that there were no clear indications of the magnitude of his actions. The Bexar County District Attorney, Joe Gonzales, expressed that there was no way to predict the severity of the murder committed by James.
Governor Greg Abbott commended law enforcement’s response to the tragic events and reiterated that violence would not be tolerated.
The investigation into the multiple homicides and shootings continues, as authorities work to piece together the details of what transpired.