In an alarming sequence of events in Texas, a spree shooter carried out a series of attacks in Austin and near San Antonio, which left six people dead and three injured. The Austin Police Department (APD) confirmed the arrest of Shane James, who they “strongly believe” committed the murders.

The shootings took place on Tuesday, and the suspect is being charged with capital murder.

Six people were found dead and three injured after a string of homicides and shootings unfolded across two Texas communities on Tuesday, and a suspect was taken into custody and charged with capital murder, police said.

Four people were killed and two police officers shot in Austin on Tuesday, authorities said. The suspect, who has not been named, was also linked to the deaths of two people near San Antonio, they added.

Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson told reporters early Wednesday that the man was arrested after he crashed his vehicle while speeding away from a shootout with a police officer that left them with “multiple gunshot wounds.”  

The authorities are still investigating the motive behind the shootings and the connection the alleged gunman had with his victims.

Investigators are actively working to determine any relationship James may have had with the people who were shot and what prompted the violence. The two victims found at the home in San Antonio are believed to be family members of the alleged shooter, though that is not yet confirmed by detectives.

"Based on the information obtained over the course of these investigations, we strongly believe one suspect is responsible for all of the incidents," Henderson said at a news conference Tuesday night.

It was later confirmed that two of the people the suspect killed were his parents.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said the suspect arrested in an Austin shooting spree that spanned multiple locations — where multiple people were killed and two law enforcement officers were injured — could also be tied to a possible double homicide in Bexar County, near San Antonio.

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Sources confirmed to KXAN that the victims in the Bexar County double homicide were the parents of the suspect.

The shootings began around 10:43 a.m. when a school resource officer was shot and injured near Northeast Early College High School in Austin. The incident plunged the city into a state of emergency.

About two hours later, a man and woman who had been shot dead were found on the city’s south side, which indicated the escalation in violence.  About five hours later, the suspect shot a cyclist on W. Slaughter Lane. Later in the day, the situation grew more dire when police officers responding to a potential burglary exchanged fire with the suspect. One of the officers was hit multiple times and suffered non-lethal injuries.

After this altercation, law enforcement engaged in a high-speed pursuit that ended with the suspect crashing his vehicle at about 7:14 p.m. He was apprehended at that time, and officers found a firearm in his possession. Afterward, officers found two more victims who were fatally shot inside a home that the suspect allegedly burglarized. The authorities believe that the killings in San Antonio were the gunman’s first victims.