Texas shooting spree: Suspect kills parents in Bexar County double homicide
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas - Two people were found dead in a home in Bexar County that police say is connected to the suspect in the deadly Austin shooting spree.
"There was a double shooting that happened with several gunshots fired from what we are able to determine, a large caliber handgun," said Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office says they got a call from Austin police around 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 6. Officers told deputies the suspect had shot several people in Austin, including law enforcement officers, and the suspect had links to a home on Port Royal Street near San Antonio.
Deputies went to the home of the suspect, 34-year-old Shane James Jr., where he lived with his parents.
Phyllis James and Shane M. James Sr. are believed to be the first victims in a shooting spree that left six people dead and three injured. Their son, Shane James Jr., is the lone suspect.
When officers arrived, the sheriff says deputies saw water coming out of the home, as if something was leaking inside.
Upon entry, 55-year-old Phyllis James and 56-year-old Shane James Sr. were found dead in a room. Both victims suffered gunshot wounds to the upper body.
"I believe the bodies were relocated to where they are now. They're wedged inside a very small room, and they're up against the door. So we're not able to fully make an entry, but we can see that clearly they're deceased in there. It's a pretty grisly crime scene," said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
"The last time we have a report that somebody spoke to one of these victims was at around 10 p.m. the night of Dec. 4," Sheriff Salazar added.
According to the sheriff's office, it was the suspect's sibling the victims last spoke with.
"One of the neighbors woke up, saw that the father’s vehicle was not in the driveway, which he found odd for some reason, he assumed that the son must have the vehicle and was gone somewhere in the dad’s car," said Sheriff Salazar.
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The sheriff says the shooting happened between 10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4 and 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 5.
"Our intention, at this point, is to eventually, and I’m talking about in the next day, maybe the next day or two, charge this suspect here in Bexar County with either murder or capital murder. I can tell you that the D.A.'s have been working behind the scenes to where we are certain this suspect is not going to get out of jail," Sheriff Salazar said.
"Neighbors described that this is a very quiet family. They say the gentleman that lives in the home, he is very involved in the community and the neighborhood watch and whatnot. The home is very well-maintained, very well-kept. It's just, you know, these folks, I'm not quite sure what's at the root of it, but I know that they certainly nobody deserves to die the way we believe that they died," Salazar said.
Police believe the Bexar County murders happened before the Austin shooting spree.
Police say 34-year-old Shane James Jr. shot an Austin ISD police officer near Northeast ECHS, killed a man and a woman in South Austin, shot a cyclist and then killed two people in Southwest Austin before shooting an Austin police officer.
James was taken into custody after a police pursuit. He's in the Travis County Jail charged with capital murder.