A man who had a history of mental health problems and a prior arrest on charges of assaulting family members killed his parents and four others while wounding two police officers in violence committed across Texas, the Associated Press reports. Shane James was charged with two counts of capital murder after attacks in Austin and San Antonio that began Tuesday morning and ended in a police pursuit car crash. James’ parents were found dead in their home in the San Antonio area. Four more people were found dead in two homes in Austin. A cyclist in Austin also was shot and wounded, and two police officers were recovering from gunshots, including one who was shot in the leg outside of a high school.
James is a former U.S. Army infantry officer who served from February 2013 to August 2015. His last rank was first lieutenant. James was arrested in January 2022 on charges of misdemeanor assault of his parents and a sibling and was taken to jail. Two weeks later, the family told a victim advocates liaison that he had mental health problems and asked that he be released from jail. James cut off his ankle monitor the day after he was released, prompting a misdemeanor probation violation warrant. Cutting off an ankle monitor has since been upgraded to a felony.