Former Army officer Shane M. James, 35, is charged with murder for six deaths in Texas in December 2023. A judge determined him incompetent to stand trial and will hold prosecution until James is mentally able to participate in his defense. (Austin Police Department)
AUSTIN, Texas — A former Army officer charged with murder for the deaths of six people is waiting for space in a state hospital after a judge found him incompetent to stand trial.
Shane M. James Jr., 35, is accused of killing his parents in San Antonio sometime during Dec. 4-5, and then driving north to Austin, where police said he killed four more people and shot and injured two police officers and a cyclist in separate incidents across the city.
His trial for the murder charges in Travis County for the four deaths in Austin will be delayed until James is deemed competent and able to participate in his own defense, James’ attorney Russell Hunt Jr. said Thursday.
James will remain in the Travis County Jail until a space opens at a state mental health facility that can treat someone accused of such violent offenses, Hunt said. That could take more than a year.
Once James is admitted to treatment, he will be evaluated after 120 days, Hunt said. If he is not deemed competent for trial, he will continue treatment until he is.
James served as an infantry officer from February 2013 to August 2015, according to his service record. He completed basic officer training at Fort Moore, Ga., and then Army Ranger School in 2014 before moving to Fort Cavazos, Texas, where he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division.
About a month after he arrived, James came under criminal investigation for a domestic violence incident with his then-wife, according to a military police report. The couple had a verbal argument and James grabbed her, took her phone and broke it to prevent her from calling 911.
James’ rampage last year began in his own home near San Antonio in Bexar County, where he is accused of killing his parents, Phyllis James, 55, and Army veteran Shane James Sr., 56.
He then drove more than 80 miles north to a high school in Austin. There, he opened fire at about 10:45 a.m. on an Austin Independent School District police officer and struck him in the leg, according to city police.
From there, he is accused of shooting and killing Emmanuel Pop Ba, 33, and Sabrina Rahman, 25, in a neighborhood about 10 miles from the school.
He then shot a cyclist, who survived, in another part of Austin before breaking into a home at about 7 p.m., where he is accused of killing Katherine Short, 56, and Lauren Short, 30.
Police found James in the backyard of the Shorts’ home. He opened fire, shooting and wounding an officer. James managed to get away in a vehicle, but he crashed at a highway intersection and was taken into custody by police.
James also has pending murder charges in Bexar County for his parents’ deaths.
