Former Army officer Shane James is suspected. The husband of a victim in a multi-city Texas shooting rampage that killed six people and arrested a former U.S. Army officer on capital murder charges said his wife died a “hero” defending their 18-month-old baby.
According to the Austin Police Department Report
On December 5, 2023, police examined a crime scene in Austin, Texas, following a spate of gunshots in Austin and near San Antonio. (Source: ABC news)
Shane James dubbed his wife, 24-year-old Sabrina Rahman, an “angel,” after she was killed walking with their son in their Austin neighborhood on Tuesday morning, a day after they moved there. Islam told Austin ABC affiliate KVUE that his wife saw Shane James shoot 32-year-old Emmanuel Pop Ba, a handyman helping them move into their new home, before fleeing in her baby’s stroller. She yelled. In reverse, she went. The gunman followed her. My baby was flung from the stroller toward the home. He lived because of her. The gunman escaped after shooting her “Islam said. After being hit in the head, she collapsed. She’s brave. She saved my son.”
Islam said his wife’s death “cut into a million pieces” his family, but he’ll fight for his child. Islam stated that they would show him how courageous his mother was and how she risked her life and everything to save him and ensure that he would have a beautiful life. He and his family relocated to Austin from Vancouver a year ago. They built two houses and settled into a nice neighborhood. The bodies of his parents, 56-year-old Shane James Sr. and 55-year-old Phyllis James were recovered in Bexar County, near San Antonio, on Tuesday night. Sheriff Javier Salazar charged James, 34, with capital murder after an hours-long shooting spree. Salazar said investigators believe the parents were killed in their son’s house between 10 p.m. on Dec. 4 and 9 a.m. on Dec. 5.
The Austin Police Department reported that the suspect shot a school resource officer in the leg near Northeast Early College High School at 10:43 a.m. Tuesday after traveling 80 miles to Austin. A Saturday criminal affidavit states that James killed Rahman and Ba in south Austin around 11:59 a.m. Tuesday. James returned five hours later and shot a 39-year-old biker, who was unharmed, investigators said. The latest affidavit states that an Austin resident on Austral Loop called 911 soon before 7 p.m. Tuesday to report seeing a man break into his home on his video camera. The affidavit says the homeowner told police his wife and special needs child were inside. According to the affidavit, an Austin police detective questioned the defendant in the Austral Loop backyard as a uniformed patrol officer owing to personnel shortages. As he ran to the back of the home, the suspect fired at the APD detective. The affidavit says the suspect shot the APD detective multiple times.
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The affidavit states that James, the defendant, took a blue 2015 Acrua from the garage and led police on a 90-mph chase before losing control and hitting a car after shooting the detective. James’ complaint states that police found a.45 caliber handgun on his belt and two ammunition magazines in his pocket after arrest. In the Austral Loop home, officers found 56-year-old Katherine Short and her 30-year-old daughter, Lauren Short, with gunshot wounds, the complaint stated. The affidavit states that officers provided first aid, but the mother and daughter died on the scene. Deputies stopped James from fleeing the Travis County Jail a day after his arrest, according to the complaint. Not much was said regarding the escape attempt. During a news conference last week, Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson stated, that based on the information obtained throughout these investigations, we strongly believe one suspect is responsible for all of the incidents.
Salazar said his Bexar County deputies arrested James on three misdemeanor counts for injuring his parents and a sister on Jan. 6, 2022. Salazar told authorities the James family did not think he belonged in jail and that he had mental health issues. James needed an ankle monitor following his 2022 release, Salazar added. He claimed James pulled off his ankle monitor a day after being released, creating misdemeanor warrants. Salazar said James last saw deputies in August 2022 when his father phoned for help because his “son was naked, he was acting out, had a mental health episode, and was upstairs in his bedroom.” The sheriff said deputies tried to talk James out of his room but were limited by law because James was wanted on petty warrants. Salazar said deputies departed without arresting James and advised the father to call them when he left the bedroom, but he never did.
According to Army spokesman Bryce Dubee, ABC News James was an infantry officer from February 2013 until August 2015. Dubee said that James left the Army on Aug. 17, 2015, as a first lieutenant without deployments.
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