A series of deadly shootings in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, culminated in the arrest of a suspect charged with capital murder.
The Austin Police Department, under the leadership of Interim Chief Robin Henderson, confirmed the arrest after a city-wide shooting spree that left six people dead and injured three, including two police officers.
Sources identified the suspect as 34-year-old Shane James. Travis County jail records show a person with the same name was booked early Wednesday on charges of capital murder of several people.
The violence began at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, where an Austin Independent School District police officer was shot in the leg at around 10:43 a.m.
Following this incident, a double homicide occurred before noon in San Antonio, involving a male and a female victim, who were later identified as James’ parents, 56-year-old Shane James Sr. and 55-year-old Phyllis James. Witnesses reported a horrifying sequence of events: the suspect shot James Sr. in his truck, pursued and killed his mother, who confronted him, and then fled in the stolen truck.
At 12 pm, two more victims were found shot on Shadywood Drive, Emanuel Pop Ba, 32, and Sabrina Rahman, 24, one dead at the scene, the other in the hospital.
In the afternoon, a cyclist in South Austin sustained a non-fatal gunshot wound reported at about 4:43 p.m.
The evening saw further tragedy before 7 p.m., as police, responding to a burglary, found two additional victims, Catherine Short, 56, and Lauren Short, 30, and engaged in a gunfight with the suspect. This encounter led to two officers being wounded and a pursuit that culminated in the suspect crashing his vehicle at the intersection of State Highway 45 and FM 1826, resulting in his capture.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott offered his condolences and underscored the importance of Independent School District police officers in safeguarding communities.
Chief Henderson pointed out that the investigation was still active and initial information was preliminary, with the linkage between the crime scenes becoming clear only after the final shooting incident.
The suspect is also facing an outstanding warrant for Assault with Injury Family Violence, in addition to the capital murder charge.