Texas shooting spree: Suspect had military, criminal background
AUSTIN, Texas - More information is coming out about Shane Matthew James, Jr., the 34-year-old believed to have carried out a shooting spree across central Texas.
Jail records show he was booked into the Travis County Jail around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday on capital murder charges as well as outstanding warrants.
In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar walked through more of the timeline.
James was arrested in January 2022 for three misdemeanor assault charges. The victims were believed to be his parents and a sibling.
"The family said he doesn’t belong in jail; he has mental health issues," said Sheriff Salazar.
On March 8, 2022, he cut off his ankle monitor.
The last altercation he had with law enforcement was in August 2023 when deputies received a call for a mental health episode at a home on Port Royal in San Antonio where it’s believed James lived with his parents.
It's the same home where two people were found dead Tuesday night, "tentatively identified" as James’ parents, Phyllis James and Shane Matthew James, Sr.
"We know that there was a mental health history here," said Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales. "But there was nothing to indicate that this individual was going to commit a murder, and certainly not one of this seriousness where you have multiple victims."
Prior to the recent charges, in 2017, James was arrested for a misdemeanor in Tarrant County.
According to his LinkedIn profile, James served in the U.S. Army from 2013 to 2015. Sheriff Salazar said James left the military due to some kind of domestic violence incident during that time.
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FOX 7 reached out to the U.S. Army to learn more about James’ time in the military.
James also served as a shooting range safety officer at two ranges in the San Antonio area, according to his profile.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office released a statement saying in part:
"After he is magistrated, our office will formally receive the case and begin working on the prosecution in partnership with other prosecutors with jurisdiction. It is expected the defendant will remain in custody pending trial."
"I don’t expect that he will be released to us…until they resolve their case," said Gonzales. "But I will tell you that we are already taking steps to ensure this man doesn’t get out in the public."