James Anderson, 37, a former clown known as Mister Jazzz and a special education teacher from Texas, has been arrested for allegedly shooting and killing his wife while she was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, reports the New York Post. 

The incident occurred on Sunday night with their 3-year-old son in the residence, who fortunately evaded untouched. Anderson had previously worked as the chair of the Special Education Department at Santa Fe Middle School. 

However, before his career in education, he was a clown and balloon artist performing under the name Mister Jazzz at children’s parties and public libraries. Online videos from almost a decade ago show Anderson providing tutorials on making balloon animals. He had also owned a party entertainment business under the names Mister Jazzz and Mr. Jazzz the Clown. 

The tragic event began when Anderson’s wife called 911 to report that he was threatening her with a firearm. The dispatcher heard a gunshot during the conversation. Police responded to the scene, and after several hours of negotiation, Anderson surrendered without incident. Upon entering the house, authorities found Victoria Anderson dead from a gunshot wound. 

The couple’s son was transported to the hospital for observation and was later released to family members. While the exact motive for the killing is unknown, there had been previous reports of domestic issues, and the couple may have been going through a divorce. Anderson has been charged with murder and is currently in jail on a $300,000 bond.