Suspect arrested for string of shootings and homicides in Austin, Texas

Police in Austin, Texas, have arrested a man after six people were killed and three injured in a confusing span of violence on Tuesday.

The suspect, who has not been named, faces capital murder and other charges.

Police determined Tuesday night that the day's shootings and homicides were connected, interim police chief Robin Henderson said.

"The nature of the relationship, if any, between the suspect and the victims is unknown," she added.

Local outlets have named the suspect as 34-year-old Shane James, and county jail records confirm a man with that name was arrested and charged with capital murder on Wednesday morning. The BBC has reached out to Austin police for confirmation.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Henderson said the "series of violent incidents" in the city of nearly 1 million began in the morning.

The Austin police department received a call at 10:43 EST (15:43 GMT) that a school district police officer had been shot and injured. The site of the shooting, Northeast Early College High School, locked down.

Over the next few hours, a man and woman were killed in a double homicide in south Austin and a male cyclist was shot. His injuries were not life-threatening, Ms Henderson said.

Later in the evening, police received a call about a possible home burglary. An officer came across the suspect in the home's backyard.

The suspect shot and injured the officer before fleeing in a vehicle.

When they went inside the home, officers found the bodies of two more people, Ms Henderson said.

The suspect was ultimately caught after he crashed the vehicle during a car chase with police.

The violence, though, was not contained to Austin.

The bodies of two people were found at a "grisly crime scene" in a San Antonio area home, in nearby Bexar County, according to Javier Salazar, the Bexar County sheriff.

Authorities discovered them after learning the suspect had ties to the residence, he said.