The man found the weapon on a table and jokingly put it to his head, authorities said. Credit: Shutterstock / Schmidt_Alex

Authorities arrested a suspect Tuesday whom they allege killed six people and injured three others in a shooting spree spanning San Antonio and Austin.

Shane James, 34, was booked into the Travis County Jail at 1:32 a.m. Wednesday, records show. He’s accused of slaying two people in San Antonio and four more in Austin, according to police officials. He’s also accused of injuring two police officers and a cyclist in Austin.

The first victims of the purported rampage are believed to be a San Antonio man and woman, both in their 50s, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters during a press conference late Tuesday evening. Salazar said he believes the pair were slain Tuesday morning before the alleged killer drove to Austin.

After arriving in Austin, James began firing at an Austin Independent School District police officer near Northeast Early College High School, Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson told NBC News. The officer was shot in the leg but is expected to survive.

About an hour later, James is believed to have committed a double homicide in a residence on Shadywood Drive in Austin, police also told NBC.

At around 5 p.m., a cyclist was shot at on West Slaughter Lane, sustaining non-life threatening injuries, according to the news outlet.

The spree came to an end after APD received a call about an armed burglary in progress near Austral Loop at around 7 p.m., APD’s Henderson told NBC. The suspect was discovered in the backyard of the residence, where police said he opened fire on responding officers, striking one.

Two victims were found inside the home, and APD officers arrested James following a brief vehicular pursuit, according to NBC.

James faces two charges of multiple capital murder and three out-of-county misdemeanor charges, according to media reports.

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This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 12, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...