A suspect accused of six murders across Texas during a day-long shooting spree was previously charged with assaulting a family member and bailed out by a non-profit progressive group, according to local reports.
Shane James, 34, is accused of killing six people and injuring others in Bexar County and Austin. James, who served as a U.S. Army Infantry officer from February 2013 to August 2015, is charged with several counts of capital murder.
In January 2022, James was charged with aggravated assault against his mother, father and sister, Fox San Antonio reported. Bail records said James was bonded out by Texas Organizing Project, a non-profit focused on progressive issues that helped elect Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales and county Sheriff Javier Salazar.
The group advocates for a number of liberal causes, including immigrant rights, healthcare justice, voting rights and climate justice, according to its website. Fox News Digital has reached out to TOP.
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Shane James, 34, is charged in connection with a shooting spree in Texas. (Austin Police Department)
Tuesday’s shooting spree in Austin began around 10:45 a.m. in the 7200 block of Bachman Drive, where an Austin Independent School district police officer was shot and injured, authorities said.
Just over an hour later, police received 911 calls about a male and female killed at 7300 Shady Wood Drive, police said. The third shooting occurred just before 5 p.m. when authorities found a male cyclist shot and suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
A fourth was reported after an Austin police officer responded to a burglary in progress in the 5300 block of Austral Loop. The suspect opened fire on the officer in the backyard of the residence, striking the officer multiple times.
The wounded officer returned fire and sought cover. The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was in stable condition at a hospital as of Tuesday evening.
James wasn’t hit during the exchange with the officer and fled the scene in a vehicle. He crashed several minutes later after a police chase and was taken into police custody. During a search of the home of the reported burglary, officers found two more victims dead, police said.
Police received multiple 911 calls around 11:59 a.m. about a male and female victim killed in an apparent double homicide at 7300 Shady Wood Drive. (FOX7 Austin KTBC)
James is being held in the Travis County jail with no bond.
In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the state is grieving “for the loved ones of the six Texans who were murdered by a hardened criminal who must never see the light of day again.”
“The murderer also shot two law enforcement officers in the line of duty,” he added. “Texas is a law-and-order state, and violence will never be tolerated.”
