Special Education Teacher Accused of Fatally Shooting Wife as She Pleaded for Help on 911 Call

Following an hours-long standoff with police on Sunday, suspect James Paul Anderson was arrested and charged with murder

A special education teacher is accused of fatally shooting his wife while she pleaded for help on a 911 call.

James Paul Anderson, 37, allegedly killed his wife, 34-year-old Victoria Anderson, in their Kingwood, Texas, home near Houston on Sunday night while she was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, police said, according to the Houston Chronicle, local CBS affiliate KHOU11 and ABC 13.

Victoria called 911 just before 5 p.m. Sunday to request help, telling the dispatcher her husband was threatening to shoot her, according to a statement from the City of Houston. Moments later, the dispatcher allegedly heard a gunshot.

When police arrived at the Andersons' home, James allegedly refused to surrender, leading to an hours-long standoff.

"Officers arrived and asked for the husband to step outside the house. He refused to do so, but allowed the couple’s son, 3, to exit the house," the statement continued. "Members of the HPD Hostage Negotiation and SWAT teams responded to the residence. After several hours of negotiations, the suspect surrendered to officers without further incident."

Once officers gained entry to the home, they discovered Victoria "unresponsive with a gunshot wound," the statement said. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.

The couple's son was taken to a local hospital for evaluation but was later released and is now staying with family.

James was charged with murder in the 208th State District Court on Tuesday. He was booked into the Harris County Jail, the City of Houston's statement said. His bond has been set at $300,000, per ABC 13. His next scheduled court date is Dec. 13.

James' counsel, defense attorney Tucker Graves, said during Tuesday's court appearance that his client has no criminal history and asked after his son when they met for the first time, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“He wants to make sure he’s being taken care of," Graves said.

It's not immediately clear if James has entered a plea.

Stephany Abner, a prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, told the Houston Chronicle that a history of marital problems and abuse may have preceded Sunday's tragic incident. She told the newspaper that James allegedly called 911 in the week prior to report that his wife had taken his guns and locked them in a safe.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

James served as chair of the Special Education Department at Santa Fe Middle School, where he worked since 2022. He's since been put on administrative leave, per KHOU11.

Prior to his career in education, James performed as a clown and balloon artist under the name “Mister Jazzz” at children's parties and public library events. Videos on his YouTube page show him dressed in a red bowler hat and demonstrating how to make various balloon designs.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.