A tragic series of shootings unfolded in Austin and San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, December 5, 2023.
The Austin Police Department, led by Interim Chief Robin Henderson, confirmed the arrest of Shane James, a 34-year-old former Army infantry officer, on charges of capital murder.
The city-wide shootings resulted in six fatalities and three injuries, including two police officers.
The violent sequence started at Northeast Early College High School in Austin, where a district police officer was shot in the leg around 10:43 a.m.
In a subsequent incident in San Antonio, Shane James Sr., 56, and Phyllis James, 55, identified as the suspect’s parents, were found dead. Witnesses described a harrowing scene where the suspect fatally shot his father in a truck, killed his confronting mother, and then fled in the stolen vehicle.
By noon, Emanuel Pop Ba, 32, and Sabrina Rahman, 24, were discovered shot on Shadywood Drive, Austin, with one victim declared dead at the scene and the other hospitalized. Later in the afternoon, a cyclist in South Austin was shot, sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.
The day’s violence peaked just before 7 p.m. when police, responding to a burglary, were caught in a shootout with the suspect, injuring two officers and finding two more victims, Catherine Short, 56, and Lauren Short, 30.
The suspect’s arrest followed a car chase, ending in a crash at the intersection of State Highway 45 and FM 1826.
Governor Greg Abbott expressed his condolences and praised the role of school district police officers in safeguarding communities.
Chief Henderson stated that while the investigation was ongoing, a connection between the crime scenes was established after the last incident. Shane James faces multiple capital murder charges and is wanted on an outstanding warrant for Assault with Injury Family Violence.
