Suspect killed 6, including his parents, in separate Texas attacks, authorities say

AUSTIN, Texas — A Texas man killed six people, including his parents, in separate attacks that stretched from San Antonio to Austin, authorities said Wednesday.

Shane James, 34, is in custody at the Travis County Jail and charged with two counts of capital murder as the prime suspect in a wave of violence that left a total of six dead, and a bicyclist and two police officers recovering from gunshots.

James will likely face similar murder charges for allegedly killing his parents at their San Antonio home sometime between Monday and Tuesday before his apparent deadly shooting spree at an Austin high school, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a news conference Wednesday.

Salazar said deputies found Shane M. James Sr., 56, and Phyllis James, 55, pressed up inside a room at their home late Tuesday. Salazar said James had a misdemeanor criminal record for assaulting his parents and sister in January 2022 but was bonded out two months later and was free to roam, even after removing his ankle monitor.

Salazar said the Bexar County Sheriff's office is working with the Austin Police regarding James, who began talking to police in Austin after his arrest, but James "clammed up." It is not known if James has a lawyer.

The series of homicides marks the sixth mass killing event in Texas and the 42nd in the U.S. this year, coming just two days after a mass shooting in Dallas that left three adults and a toddler dead, per The Associated Press/USA TODAY/Northeastern University Mass Killings database. A mass killing is the intentional murder of four or more victims, excluding the perpetrator.

In a statement Wednesday, President Joe Biden said the Texas shootings left "families devastated, and communities forever changed."

"This is not normal, and we can never let it become normal," added Biden, calling for Congress to pass more legislation "common sense measures," that will help stem the tide of gun violence in Texas and another mass shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Wednesday.

"And together, we must do more to prevent more families, and more communities like Austin, San Antonio, and Las Vegas, from being ripped apart by gun violence," Biden said.

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Police identify 2 victims in Austin shooting

Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson said during a news conference early Wednesday that law enforcement was unaware the incidents in Austin and the double murder in San Antonio more than 80 miles away were connected until after James' arrest Tuesday night.

"I'd like to express my deepest condolences to all the victims and their families who've been affected by these series of tragic events and horrific criminal acts," Henderson said.

The first shooting in Austin occurred Tuesday around 10:40 a.m., where James is suspected of shooting a police officer at Northeast Early College High School, prompting an hourslong lockdown of the school and a nearby facility, Henderson said. The officer was hit in the leg and, as of Tuesday evening, was in stable condition, said Austin School District Police Chief Wayne Sneed.

At about noon, officers responded to the multiple calls about shots being fired at a home in south Austin, just miles from the school. Authorities later identified the victims as Sabrina Rahman, 24, and Emmanuel Pop Ba, 32.

Austin police found both of them with gunshot wounds and said in a news release sent Wednesday that Rahman was taken to the hospital, where she died. Ba was pronounced dead at the scene.

The third shooting occurred around 5 p.m. when the suspect fired at a male cyclist in southwest Austin, Henderson said. The cyclist suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Two hours later, James is accused of shooting at officers who were responding to a 911 call about a burglary in progress at a home less than a mile from the previous shooting. One officer suffered multiple injuries, which Henderson described as not life-threatening.

James fled in a vehicle before he subsequently crashed and was nabbed by officers – ending the eight-hour rampage.

As the police chase was underway, officers at the house where the firefight occurred searched the residence. Inside, they found two people dead. Police believe James to be responsible for those deaths. Authorities have not said how the victims died.

Shooting suspect was discharged from the Army

James was an infantry officer in the U.S. Army from February 2013 to August 2015. He had no deployments and separated from service Aug. 17, 2015, Army spokesperson Bryce S. Dubee told the American-Statesman, part of the USA TODAY Network, on Wednesday. James' last rank was first lieutenant.

James did not serve for the entirety of his contract term. The circumstances of his departure are unclear. Dubee declined to disclose that information, citing Army policy on privacy considerations.

Salazar, the Bexar County Sheriff told reporters Wednesday that a "domestic incident of some sort" led to James' discharge from the Army. Salazar said that his office was still working through those details.

During Wednesday's news conference, Salazar and Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales were grilled by reporters who asked repeatedly why didn't authorities take more action when James was arrested for assaulting his father, mother, and sister in January 2022.

Salazar said James was charged with three counts of assault against a family member, all misdemeanors. James was booked and then released after a nonprofit posted his bond after the conditions of his bond were changed by his family.

He cut off his ankle monitor two months later, which was a violation of his bond, but wasn't a criminal offense at the time, Salazar said.

Back in August, Salazar said deputies arrived after getting a mental health call from James' family. The sheriff said that when deputies arrived James' father told them that James had a mental health episode and was holed up in a room.

According to authorities, James was naked in a bedroom upstairs behind a locked door. His father, authorities said, forcibly opened the door, although just enough for deputies to peek inside and to ask him to step outside. Salazar said deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation, but James hid behind the door and hurled slurs at them.

After they arrived at the home, Salazar said, James' father was told by deputies about the warrants and that James would have to leave with them.

Deputies determined to leave, asking James' father to call them if his son left the room so they could return to take him into custody. He never made that call.

"I wish we would have been able to get him in custody. That being said, it's assuming a lot saying had they just arrested him that day, this wouldn't have happened," Salazar said. "Chances are, he would have already served his time and been out by this time anyway."

"Now, we're dealing with a bigger problem," Salazar added. "And we'll handle it in due time."

Christopher Cann is a breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him via email at ccann@usatoday.com or follow him on X @ChrisCannFL.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas shooting spree: 6 people found dead in San Antonio and Austin