Shooting spree in 2 Texas cities leave 6 dead

Houston, Dec 7 (IANS) Six people were found dead and three injured, including two police officers, after a string of homicides and shootings unfolded across two Texas cities -- Austin and San Antonio -- on Tuesday

A man and a woman in their 50s were found dead at a residence near the 6400 block of Port Royal Street in San Antonio. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that officials believe the man and the woman were killed before the series of shootings in Austin on Tuesday, media reports said.

The Austin Police Department communicated to Bexar County officials that the suspect in the Austin shooting rampage had connections to the residence on Port Royal Street.

Austin officials believe that Shane James, a 34-year-old male, is responsible for the homicides and shootings in Austin, as well as the double homicide in San Antonio, though they have not specified how James is connected to the crime scene in San Antonio, reported the Austin American-Statesman, a newspaper published from Austin.

Neighbours in the Port Royal Street cul-de-sac questioned by the daily echoed that the two victims were quiet and orderly, keeping to themselves, and were not frequently seen outside their home, apart from when they walked their dog around the neighbourhood, media reports from Texas publications said.

One neighbour said she did not see or hear any disturbances on the street or the house next door until Bexar County detectives knocked on her door late Tuesday night. Michelle Coan said she has lived on Port Royal Street for over two decades. She recalled seeing the male victim and his son playing basketball on their driveway many years ago and called them “beyond normal,” noting their cul-de-sac is always very peaceful and quiet.

Coan said she frequently saw the male victim walking the family’s small white dog around the neighbourhood in the early morning and evenings, frequently exchanging cordial remarks. She said the female victim would wave at her when they crossed paths on the street but was more reserved than the man.

“It's a weird sense of loss to lose your neighbours,” Coan said, adding that even though they weren’t close, she would miss seeing the couple walking the dog and knowing they were at home.