Neighbors say suspect in Austin-San Antonio shooting spree changed after time in Army

The Alamo City man arrested in connection with Tuesday’s San Antonio-Austin shooting spree is a St. Mary’s University grad who began showing signs of mental illness after serving in the U.S. Army, neighbors told the Current.

Shane James, 34, is suspected of killing both his parents in the San Antonio home he shared with them before slaying an additional four people and wounding three others in a shooting rampage that played out Tuesday, according to authorities.

People who lived near James’ late parents in the northeast suburb of Woodlake Estates said their son seemed normal after graduating from St. Mary’s in 2012. However, neighbor Coco Williams said James began displaying abnormal behavior after he briefly served in the military.

James enlisted in the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division and was stationed at Texas’ Fort Hood from May 2014 to May 2015, according to his LinkedIn page. It’s unclear whether he resigned or was discharged.

“When he came back, he was all fucked up,” said Williams, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood. “I mean, he had seen too much.”

James was booked into Travis County Jail early Wednesday and is being charged with capital murder of multiple persons. The suspect also had three pending cases in Bexar County for causing bodily injury-family and faced warrants for re-arrest on those roughly two years ago, sources told KSAT.

Williams said James began “seeing ghosts” and displayed other signs he suffered from mental-health issues after he left the Army. She also said he had trouble keeping work.

Since leaving the service, James held a job at Walmart and obtained a commercial driver’s license before gaining employment at the Washtub Car Wash on Route 78, according to his LinkedIn profile. His employment with the Washtub ended in May 2022, company Chief Financial Officer Donna Dalfrey told the Current.

Prior to joining the Army, James worked at two San Antonio shooting ranges, according to his LinkedIn. He held those positions between June 2012 and February 2013.

Laverne Towell, who lives across the street from James’ family home also said he wasn’t the same after his military service. The alleged shooter had an adult brother and sister, but he was the only one who lived with his parents, she added.

“They were the nicest people,” Towell said of James’ parents, Shane James Sr. and Phyllis James.

Police have yet to release a possible motive for the killings.

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