Criminal Justice

Gunman suspected of killing 6 in SA-Austin shootings to face murder charges in Bexar County

Texas Public Radio | By Brian Kirkpatrick

Published June 12, 2024 at 12:08 PM CDT

A crime scene investigator works at the scene of a shooting on Austral Loop in the Circle C Ranch neighborhood in Southwest Austin on Wednesday December 6, 2023.

A man who allegedly shot and killed six people and left three others injured in a spree of violence in San Antonio and Austin in December 2023 will face capital murder charges in Bexar County.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office confirmed a murder warrant has been issued for 35-year-old Shane James Jr.

James is accused of fatally shooting his parents in San Antonio and then traveling to Austin, where he shot and killed four more people unrelated to him — and injured four others.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar and District Attorney Joe Gonzales provide an update on the double homicide that occurred at an East Bexar County home while speaking to the press at the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Headquarters on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023.

Criminal Justice

Gunman killed his parents in Bexar County before going on shooting spree in Austin, officials say

Joey Palacios

Two people murdered inside their East Bexar County home on Tuesday have been identified as 55-year-old Phyllis James and 56-year-old Shane James Senior. The man accused of the killings is their 34-year-old son, Shane James Jr.

Bexar County officials expect it to take some time to prosecute James since he's being held in custody pending trial in Travis County and must face capital murder charges there first.

Investigators enter the crime scene area on Austral Loop in Southwest Austin's Circle C neighborhood last week.

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Shane James is accused of killing six people in a shooting spree that stretched across San Antonio and Austin. He had a long history of interactions with police.

James has been charged in Travis County with four counts of capital murder, two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant for allegedly shooting two police officers, and one count of aggravated assault mass shooting.

Investigators say James struggled with mental health issues and had been accused of domestic violence in the past.

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