Six people dead after shooting spree in Austin, double homicide in Bexar Co.

Erica Pauda
·4 min read

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was arrested for Capital Murder Tuesday in connection to several homicides as well as the shootings of an Austin Independent School District officer and an Austin police officer, the Austin Police Department said early Wednesday morning.

Both officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Austin Police did not name the suspect Tuesday night. Sources tell KXAN the suspect is Shane James, 34. Travis County Jail records show a man with the same name was booked into the jail at 1:30 Wednesday morning charged with Capital Murder of multiple people.

Interim Chief Robin Henderson said the department did not connect the shootings until after a shooting on Austral Loop in the Circle C neighborhood just before 7 p.m.

Austin ISD officer shot at Northeast ECHS

Chief Henderson said the suspect is accused of killing two people on Shadywood Drive in south Austin and shooting an Austin Independent School District officer at Northeast Early College High School Tuesday morning. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office also said a suspected double homicide near San Antonio is likely tied to the suspect as well.

Sheriff: Suspect in Austin shooting spree tied to possible double homicide in Bexar County

Below is the timeline of events as explained by Henderson early Wednesday morning. You can find further details of each incident further down in the article.

  • 10:40 a.m. – Austin AISD officer shot near Northeast Early College High School

  • 11:59 a.m. – Double homicide on Shadywood Drive

  • 4:57 p.m. – Cyclist shot on W. Slaughter Lane, non-life-threatening injuries

  • 6:54 p.m. – APD officer responds to active burglary on Austral Loop, finds suspect in backyard. Suspect fires at officer. Officer has non-life-threatening injuries. Suspect drives away.

  • 7:14 p.m. – Police chase ends with suspect crashing car

Cyclist shot

According to Chief Henderson, a bicyclist riding on West Slaughter Lane in South Austin reported being shot just before 5 p.m. The bicyclist had non-life-threatening injuries, the chief said. The man who is the suspect in the other shootings is a suspect in this shooting as well, the chief said.

Austral Loop shooting

An officer responding to a burglary call at a home on Austral Loop in the Circle C neighborhood in southwest Austin found the suspect in the backyard just before 7 p.m., Chief Henderson said.

The chief told reporters that the suspect fired at the officer and the officer shot back but the suspect was not hit. Shortly afterwards, the chief said, the officer reported he had been shot multiple times and the suspect got away. The chief said the officer is currently in stable condition. One law enforcement source told KXAN the officer shot suffered non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect was chased by the police until he crashed at the intersection of State Highway 45 and FM 1826.

Inside the home on Austral Loop, officers found two bodies.

Austin ISD officer shot at Northeast ECHS

AISD Police Chief Wayne Sneed said the sergeant who was shot is responsible for several campuses and went on his daily check of Northeast Early College High School Tuesday. At about 10:40 a.m., he called out to report he was taking on gunfire from someone and had been hit in the leg.

At about 10:43 a.m., a school resource officer from the campus arrived to provide backup and assisted the injured sergeant.

The campus went into lockdown at 10:46 a.m.. About a minute later, APD and other agencies began arriving. Sneed said at least 15 agencies in total responded. The high school, which is near U.S. Highway 290, did a controlled release of its students due to the ongoing investigation, according to the district.

Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement Tuesday afternoon sharing his reaction to the officer being shot in the line of duty.

“Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the Austin ISD police officer who was shot near Northeast Early College High School today,” Abbott said. “Our ISD police officers play a critical role on keeping Texas students and school faculty safe. The State of Texas is offering all available resources to local law enforcement partners who are working to ensure this dangerous criminal is caught and brought to justice. Cecilia and I ask our fellow Texans to join us in praying for the officer’s swift recovery and the entire Northeast Early College High School community.”

APD investigating homicide in south Austin

Around noon Tuesday, APD said it was investigating a homicide on Shadywood Drive, which is in the area east of South First Street and south of West William Cannon Drive.

Officers said they found a man and a woman with “obvious signs of trauma to their body,” APD Sgt. Destiny Silva said during a media briefing.

According to police, one victim was pronounced dead on the scene. The other victim was taken to a local hospital, where they later died from their injuries.

According to police, this is the 67th and 68th homicide in Austin.

Additionally, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said in a media briefing that the suspect involved in the shooting spree may also be connected to a double homicide in Bexar County, which is near San Antonio.

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