Former Army officer Shane James, 35, is charged with murder for six deaths in Texas in December 2023. He has now been deemed mentally competent to stand trial. (Austin Police Department)
AUSTIN, Texas — A former Army officer charged with the shooting deaths of six people, including his parents, has been deemed mentally competent to stand trial for the killings, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
Shane M. James Jr., 36, is accused of killing his parents in San Antonio sometime between Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, 2023, 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.
Judge Cliff Brown determined in October that James was not competent to participate in his court proceedings and ordered him to a state mental health facility until his capacity improved.
The judge decided July 9 that his murder case can start again. New hearings have not yet been scheduled, according to the county’s online court docket.
Prosecutors look forward to continuing to fight for justice for the victims and their families, according to a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office.
An attorney for James was not immediately available Wednesday for comment.
James, who is now in Travis County Jail, served as an infantry officer from February 2013 to August 2015, according to his service record. He completed basic officer training at Fort Benning, Ga., and then Army Ranger School in 2014 before moving to Fort Hood, 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’ 2023 rampage 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, and he opened fire, shooting and wounding an officer. James managed to get away in a vehicle. 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.
