Two individuals were found dead inside their home in East Bexar County on Tuesday, and they have been identified as 55-year-old Phyllis James and 56-year-old Shane James Sr. The suspect in the killings is their 34-year-old son, Shane James Jr. After allegedly murdering his parents in their shared Bexar County home, James Jr. drove over 80 miles to Austin, where he is accused of killing four more people and injuring three others, including an Austin police officer, an Austin ISD School District Officer, and a cyclist. James Jr. is currently in custody in Austin and has been charged with Capitol Murder of Multiple Persons in Travis County, with pending charges in Bexar County.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar stated on Wednesday that investigators are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting rampage in Austin. “I don’t know that there was any rhyme or reason to how he selected his victims at all,” said Salazar. “Nothing that we’ve been made aware of.” James Jr. was apprehended after a police chase in Southwest Austin on Tuesday evening.
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Regarding the weapon used in the crimes, Salazar mentioned that they are still piecing together its origin. “We’re assuming it came from within the house, but beyond that, I don’t know much about the weapon he was caught with. What I can tell you is that I believe the shell casings found in the home match at least some of the shell casings found in Austin,” said Salazar. “But beyond that, I don’t know if they match the gun he was caught with or how many guns he was caught with.”
It was revealed that James Jr. had previous charges and active warrants for assault and bodily injury. The Texas Organizing Project, which bailed him out in February 2022, released a statement expressing their devastation over the incident and acknowledging the need to address gun violence.
James Jr. was dishonorably discharged from the military in 2015 due to a domestic violence incident. According to a study by the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, over two-thirds of mass shootings are either domestic violence incidents or are carried out by individuals with a history of domestic violence.
