HOUSTON — The man accused of killing his wife before surrendering after a lengthy SWAT standoff last weekend was identified as James Paul Anderson, who worked in the special education department at a Houston-area school district.
Cleveland Independent School District officials said Anderson was the Special Education Department Chair at Santa Fe Middle School. The district said Anderson was placed on leave after hearing about what happened.
He's now charged with murder in connection with his wife's death. During a court appearance on Monday, Anderson's bond was set at $300,000. He's due back in court on Tuesday morning.
RELATED: HPD: Man who shot wife while she was on phone with 911 surrenders after SWAT standoff in Kingwood
What happened
Anderson, 37, is accused of killing his 34-year-old wife on Sunday at a home on Vista Ridge Drive, which is in a neighborhood just south of Northpark Drive between Woodland Hills Drive and West Lake Houston Parkway.
The initial call came in as a domestic violence situation around 5 p.m., police said. Police said the victim made the call and told the 911 operator that her husband was threatening to shoot her. The operator then reported hearing a gunshot.
When officers got to the home, they saw the victim's body, but Anderson had barricaded himself inside the house and refused to come out. Police said the couple's 3-year-old son was initially inside the house but was able to get out. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment. It's unclear what injuries he sustained.
HPD officials said SWAT members and hostage negotiators tried for hours to get Anderson to come out peacefully. At about 9:45 p.m., officials said he finally came out of the house and surrendered.
His wife was found dead inside the home.
Authorities said they're not sure what sparked the incident on Sunday, but there were previous reports of domestic issues at the house and the couple was possibly going through a divorce.
District's statement
"Cleveland ISD is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic domestic violence situation involving one of the staff members at Santa Fe Middle School, James Anderson. Mr. Anderson has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. We would like to reiterate that this situation occurred domestically and did not take place on campus. Additional counseling and crisis support has been made available for students and staff at Santa Fe Middle School."
Resources for victims of domestic or family violence
Domestic and family violence cases in the Houston area have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.
The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.
The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.