2023 Austin Shootings

 On December 5, 2023, a shooting spree in Austin, Texas resulted in the deaths of four people and left three others injured. Another shooting in Bexar County that resulted in two deaths was said to be connected to the shootings.

Shootings

Austin

At around 10:40 am. CST, a resource officer was shot and injured near Northeast Early College High School. The sergeant, who is responsible for several campuses, was shot in the leg during his daily check on the high school. During the shooting, the officer reported that he was taking gunfire, and another resource officer arrived to provide backup to the injured sergeant. The shooting caused the campus to go into lockdown, and the Austin Police Department responded at around 10:47. After, the school did a controlled release of its students.

At 11:59 am, a double homicide was reported near Shadywood Lane, where a man and a woman were killed. Police said that the victims had "obvious signs of trauma to their bodies". One of the victims was found dead at the scene, while the other died from their injuries at a local hospital. Fox 7 Austin reported that the suspect saw a handyman sitting in his car, and then shot him through the passenger window. A woman then came out to see what happened, and the man chased and then shot her.

At 4:57 pm, a cyclist riding on West Slaughter Lane was shot and injured. The man was said to have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

At 6:54 pm, officers responded to a burglary on Austral Loop. An officer who responded found the suspect in the house's backyard, and they both exchanged fire. During the shootout, the suspect shot and injured the officer. The officer shot back but wasn't able to hit the suspect. The suspect then fled the scene. The officer was said to have suffered non-fatal injuries. Police found two bodies inside the home that had been burglarized, both of which suffered from fatal gunshot wounds.

Bexar County

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that police discovered two bodies in a home in the San Antonio area. The bodies were "wedged inside a very small room". After learning about the suspect in the Austin shootings, Salazar said that he had "links" to the home. Phyllis James and Shane James, the suspect's parents, are believed to be the victims.

Chase and suspect

After fleeing the shooting on Austral Loop, the suspect got into a police chase. He drove a stolen Acura, and reached speeds of up to 90 mph. The chase ended at around 7:14 p.m. when the suspect crashed his vehicle near FM 1826 and MoPac. Police found a 1911 A1 .45-caliber pistol and handgun magazines on him. The suspect, 34-year-old Shane Matthew James Jr. of San Antonio, was charged with four counts of capital murder, and held without bond. James reportedly had a history of violence and suffered from mental health issues. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was discharged and arrested due to a domestic violence incident in January 2022, though he was eventually released on bail. In August 2023, police were called due to reports that James was suffering from a mental health episode but they “left the residence without taking him into custody on the misdemeanor warrants to avoid a possible violent confrontation.”

Reactions

President Biden called on Republicans to ban assault weapons and urged them to help take action on gun control after the shootings in Central Texas and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Biden also said that him and Jill Biden joined citizens across the nation in praying for the fallen.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott, on a post on X, described the shootings as heinous, and said that James, the perpetrator, must "never see the light of day". Abbott also said that he and his wife Cecilia were praying for the recovery of the injured, and thanked law enforcement for risking their lives to apprehend James.