Texas shooting suspect Shane James accused of killing 6 people attempts to flee from jail
Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.
AUSTIN, TEXAS: Shane James Jr, the alleged perpetrator behind a shooting rampage that claimed the lives of six individuals across Austin and San Antonio in Texas, made a daring attempt to escape from jail post-arrest, according to authorities.
James, 34, now faces capital murder charges related to the attacks that unfolded on Tuesday, December 5.
Shane James Jr attempts to escape Travis County Jail
In an unsettling turn of events on Wednesday, James reportedly evaded a corrections officer opening a door to his housing unit at the Travis County Jail in Austin.
Kristen Dark, spokesperson for the county sheriff's office, stated that James ran into a hallway before being apprehended. Despite initial resistance, corrections officers managed to restrain him, as per CBS.
Dark emphasized the secure nature of the jail, assuring that the suspect couldn't have escaped the floor or the building.
The incident followed James' arrest in Austin on Tuesday, with suspicions arising about his involvement in the deaths of Phyllis James, 55, and Shane James Sr, 56—tentatively identified as his parents—in a San Antonio home.
What led to Shane James Jr's arrest?
On Tuesday evening officers, in response to a burglary call at a residence, engaged in a gunfire exchange with a suspect in a backyard.
During the confrontation, an officer sustained multiple gunshot wounds, with police reporting non-life-threatening injuries, and the officer is currently in recovery.
The suspect, attempting to evade capture, was eventually arrested after fleeing the scene and crashing during a police pursuit, as disclosed by Interim Police Chief Robin Henderson to reporters.
The discovery of the victims' bodies occurred after Austin police, upon James' arrest, requested a check on the suspect's residence.
In Austin, four additional victims were found dead: Emmanuel Pop Ba, 32, and Sabrina Rahman, 24, who were shot on Shadywood Drive in South Austin; Catherine Short, 56, and Lauren Short, 30, killed during a burglary call response.
