James Edward Swann Jr. was born in 1964 in Iselin, New Jersey. He exhibited signs of mental illness during his teenage years, including talking to himself and sudden outbursts of laughter without apparent reason. Swann worked intermittently as a security guard but was fired from a drugstore for insisting on walking backward while patrolling. Prior to his shooting spree, he lived in Oxon Hill, Maryland, with his sister until she asked him to leave following a dispute. Afterward, he drifted between New Jersey, New York, and Philadelphia, reportedly living in his car.

Between February and April 1993, Swann terrorized the Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., earning the moniker "The Shotgun Stalker." He conducted drive-by shootings, slowing his car to fire a 20-gauge shotgun at pedestrians before driving away. His attacks were random, targeting individuals regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity.​

Swann's first known attack occurred on February 23, 1993, when he shot and injured a 22-year-old man. Three days later, he entered a barbershop and fatally shot 58-year-old Julius "Jack" Bryant. On March 23, he killed 28-year-old Elizabeth "Bessie" Hutson while she was walking her dogs. Subsequent attacks resulted in additional injuries and fatalities, including the deaths of 35-year-old Edwin Fleming on April 10 and 61-year-old Nello Hughes on April 19.​

Swann was apprehended on April 19, 1993, shortly after killing Hughes. An off-duty officer noticed his erratic driving and, upon stopping him, discovered the shotgun in his vehicle. During interrogation, Swann claimed that voices, including that of Malcolm X, commanded him to kill people in Northwest Washington, whom he believed were responsible for Malcolm X's assassination.​

In September 1994, Swann was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has since been confined to St. Elizabeths Hospital as a forensic patient. In 2011, he requested a 12-hour furlough to visit his father, which was denied due to concerns about public safety and his mental health history.​