Army Vet Accused of Murdering His Parents, Then Driving Hour to Kill 4 Others in Texas Shooting Spree

Shane James Jr., 34, is charged with four counts of capital murder

An army veteran is accused of murdering his parents before killing four others during a shooting spree across Texas on Tuesday.

Local authorities said 34-year-old Shane James. Jr., who is currently being held in the Travis County Jail, allegedly carried out the massacre that began in San Antonio and ended in Austin.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said two bodies were found in the San Antonio-area home where James lived after deputies forced entry into the home. The victims have been “tentatively identified” as James’ parents, Phyllis James, 55, and Shane James Sr, 56. Investigators believe they were killed sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Subsequently, James drove about an hour and a half away to Austin, where local police said in a press release that he allegedly carried out four separate shootings.

Police were first called around 10:43 a.m. to Northeast Early College High School, where a school district officer had been shot and wounded, the release states. As a result, the school went on lockdown and classes and after school activities were canceled Wednesday, Texas Public Radio reports, citing police.

At 11:59 a.m., a man and woman, identified by police as Emmanuel Pop Ba and Sabrina Rahman, were killed in a shooting in a residential neighborhood, according to police.

Nearly six hours later, at 5:47 p.m. , police responded to a location in the city where a cyclist had been shot. Police said the victim is recovering from injuries.

The last shooting happened at about 6:48 p.m., police said. When officers responded to the city home where a burglary had reportedly occurred, they encountered a man who was later identified as James, the release alleges. The suspect “immediately fired several gunshots” at an officer. Police said the officer returned fire in the suspect's direction, but at that point, the officer had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

“James was not struck by gunfire during this incident,” Austin police said in the release. “Two victims were located inside the residence with fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased on the scene.”

The officer, whose name has not been shared, has since been released from the hospital and is expected to recover, police said.

James was subsequently arrested on four counts of capital murder in connection with the Austin killings and outstanding misdemeanor charges, Travis County jail records reviewed by PEOPLE show. It’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.

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At the press conference on Wednesday, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that additional charges relating to the suspect’s parents' deaths are expected to be filed.

Salazar also alleged that James had previous encounters with law enforcement and a history of mental health issues.

In January 2022, James was arrested on domestic violence charges involving his parents and a sibling, according to the sheriff. He was eventually released on bail.

“The family stated ‘James does not belong in jail; he has mental health issues,’” Salazar said at the press conference.

This past August, police again responded to the family home, where James was believed to have been suffering a mental health episode, the sheriff said. Police were unable to bring him into custody since he had allegedly barricaded himself in a room. However, police were not legally able to enter the home despite his previous charges since they were misdemeanors, Salazar explained. Police reportedly told James' father to contact them when he exited the room, but they were never called back to the home.

According to his LinkedIn profile, James served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2015.

In a statement released on social media Wednesday, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office called the shooting spree “senseless and tragic gun violence.”

"After he is magistrated, our office will formally receive the case and begin working on the prosecution in partnership with other prosecutors with jurisdiction,” the statement reads, in part. “It is expected the defendant will remain in custody pending trial.”

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