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Who is the man who police say started a deadly Texas rampage in Bexar County?

Shane James Jr. is behind held without bond after allegedly killing six people across two cities. It isn't the first time he's been arrested.

SAN ANTONIO — Shane James is behind bars in Austin, accused of murder after a series of attacks that authorities say started in Bexar County where he allegedly killed his parents before heading north and shooting several others, including two law enforcement officers. 

This isn't James' first run-in with the law, however. He was previously arrested for a domestic violence charge stemming from a 2022 incident, after which he was released on bond. Authorities say the very next day, on March 8, 2022, James cut off his ankle monitor, violating the conditions of his release. 

Here's everything else we know about the 34-year-old accused of killing six people and hurting three others this week. 

Where did Shane James live?

James had a listed home address of 6403 Port Royal, a home between Kirby and Converse located just south of FM 78. That's the residence where Bexar County sheriff's deputies found two middle-aged victims, now identified as James' parents, dead. 

James also had a listed home address in Mansfield, according to public data. 

CBS News reported James was an infantry officer with the U.S. Army from February 2013 to August 2015. 

Why was James previously arrested?

In a lengthy news conference Wednesday afternoon, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said James was previously arrested on Jan. 6, 2022, from the Port Royal home after allegedly assaulting his parents and a sibling. He was facing a misdemeanor charge. 

Salazar said an advocate of the family reached out on their behalf, saying James "does not belong in jail, that he has mental health issues." According to Salazar, by Jan. 27 the conditions of his bond were altered so that a no-contact order became "no harmful contact."

When did James leave the jail?

He wasn't behind bars for very long. James was released on March 7, 2022, just over two months after the alleged domestic violence incident. He posted bail for three $100 bonds, which a judge previously lowered from $500, the sheriff said. 

The Texas Organizing Project assisted James' family in the process of bailing him out; Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales on Wednesday cited James' lack of a prior criminal history, saying his release was determined "a low risk." 

The very next day, according to Salazar, he became a wanted man after he cut off his ankle monitor—violating his probation, but at the time not a crime in itself. That's since changed after a new law was introduced this fall; cutting off an ankle monitor is now a felony offense. 

"Back in March 2022, unfortunately, that statute did not exist," Salazar said. 

Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Bail Program released this statement about Shane James, Jr. on Friday:

When did law enforcement next encounter James?

On March 9, 2022, a warrant was reissued for James' arrest. But it wasn't until 15 months after he allegedly got rid of his ankle monitor that deputies caught back up with him. 

Salazar says that in August, James' father – Shane James Sr. – called authorities while his son was "acting out" and experiencing an apparent mental health episode. Deputies also notified Shane James Sr. that his son was wanted at the time. 

When trying to get in contact with Shane James Jr., deputies were met with a locked door and attempted to de-escalate the situation. Salazar said deputies' ability to force entry is "limited" when they're trying to arrest someone for a misdemeanor warrant, "but the dad did" force his way in, although the door would only open so much.

Deputies continued speaking to Shane James Jr. "through a crack in the door," Salazar said, as they tried to calm James down. At a certain point, the responding deputies retreated and asked the father to call them back once James came out of the room so he could be taken back into custody. 

But, Salazar said, "it doesn't appear like that call ever came in." 

Deputies wouldn't return to 6403 Port Royal until shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday, when they would discover James' parents shot dead. 

What happens now?

Authorities are still processing warrants for what James is accused of doing in Bexar County before going to Austin. But he is still facing the active domestic violence warrant stemming from the 2022 arrest, and Salazar said he may be charged with either murder or capital murder in Bexar County, depending on the evidence that can be gathered. 

Does James have other prior charges?

He does. James was previously convicted for a criminal trespassing charge in 2017, stemming from an incident for which he was arrested by Fort Worth police. He served 10 days in jail. 

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