AUSTIN, Texas — Shane James Jr., the man accused of going on a deadly shooting spree that started in the San Antonio area and ended in Austin last December, has been deemed incompetent to stand trial, according to online records.
James, 35, is facing multiple capital murder charges after authorities say he shot and killed his parents in Bexar County on Dec. 5, 2023, before traveling to Austin and killing four other people: Emmanuel Pop Ba, Sabrina Rahman, and Katherine and Lauren Short. He also allegedly injured an Austin ISD Police Department officer, a cyclist and an Austin Police Department officer.
Online records show that James was deemed incompetent to stand trial on Oct. 30. He remains in the Travis County Jail as of Nov. 7.
KVUE has reached out to the Travis County District Attorney's Office and James' court-appointed attorneys for comment, but we have not yet heard back.
What does 'incompetent to stand trial' mean?
According to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, a person is incompetent to stand trial if they don't have:
- "Sufficient present ability to consult with the person's lawyer with a reasonable degree of rational understanding; or
- A rational as well as factual understanding of the proceedings against the person."
Defendants are presumed competent to stand trial unless they're proven incompetent by "a preponderance of the evidence," according to the code.
Issues of incompetency may be raised by the state, the defense or the trial court. If the court finds there is some evidence to indicate a defendant is incompetent to stand trial, the court must stay proceedings and order an examination of the defendant by one or more qualified experts to determine their competency.
Factors that must be considered include a defendant's ability to rationally understand the charges against them and the potential consequences of the pending criminal proceedings; to disclose to counsel important facts and events; to engage in a reasoned choice of legal strategies; to exhibit appropriate courtroom behavior; and more.
According to online records, the competency evaluation report for James was registered on Oct. 30 and stated that he was incompetent to stand trail.
If a defendant is determined incompetent and "unlikely to be restored to competency for the foreseeable future," plus they are charged with an offense of a Class A misdemeanor or higher – as is the case with James – the court will determine next steps for commitment.
Online records show that a "writ of commitment" was registered for James on Oct. 30, meaning that he will be transported to a designated mental health facility.
Background on this case
Bexar County officials say the Dec. 5, 2023, shooting spree started in the San Antonio area. Phyllis James and Shane James Sr. were found dead, "wedged inside a very small room," in a home east of San Antonio. Sheriff Javier Salazar described the scene as "grisly."
Then, at around 10:45 a.m. on Dec. 5, investigators say James shot and injured an Austin ISD Police Department officer outside Northeast Early College High School in northeast Austin. Investigators said there was no interaction between the officer and James before the shooting.
Just before noon, the Austin Police Department (APD) received multiple calls for help to a home in South Austin. When officers arrived on the scene, they found a man and a woman with "obvious signs of trauma" to their bodies. Those victims were later identified as 32-year-old Emmanuel Pop Ba and 24-year-old Sabrina Rahman.
Police said James allegedly shot and killed Pop Ba while stealing his vehicle. Then, he turned his attention to Rahman, who witnessed the shooting, and he shot her, narrowly missing her baby, who was in a stroller. He then left the scene in Pop Ba's vehicle, according to police.
Police believe that after that shooting, James headed further southwest, where he allegedly shot someone riding their bike on West Slaughter Lane just before 5 p.m. The cyclist called 911 themselves, and police said they would be able to recover from their injuries.
The next incident is when police were able to make first contact with James.
At around 6:45 p.m., APD officers got a call about a burglary in progress in southwest Austin's Circle C neighborhood. Surveillance video showed James wearing a long-sleeved shirt, wielding a handgun and forcibly trying to kick down the back door of a residence. Officers arrived at the scene at 6:54 p.m.
APD said when officers arrived, James began shooting at them. Officers returned fire but did not hit James. James then left the scene in a stolen car and was pursued by officers.
While James was being chased, a number of other officers entered the Circle C home and located two women suffering from gunshot wounds. They were later identified as 56-year-old Katherine Short and 30-year-old Lauren Short. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but both women died at the scene.
At 6:55 p.m., officers on the scene called for backup, Austin-Travis County EMS medics and Austin Fire Department crews because an APD officer had been shot. That officer survived.
Police chased James until he crashed his car near State Highway 45 and FM 1826. Then-APD Interim Chief Robin Henderson said officers then took James into custody. He did have a gun on him.
The following day, James tried to escape the Travis County Jail. An affidavit stated that deputies "had to use force to subdue James" and get him back into custody.
Roughly a week after the shooting spree, APD outlined the timeline and explained why an alert wasn't sent to the public while James was allegedly on the run, stating that they did not want to impact the investigation.
In June 2024, court documents from Bexar County revealed that James admitted to killing his parents prior to traveling to Austin and allegedly killing the four additional victims. James told investigators that on the morning of the shooting spree, he felt "impending doom."
In August 2024, James said he wanted to represent himself in court. However, online documents show he still has two court-appointed attorneys.
Jail records show James faces nearly a dozen charges, including seven in Travis County – Capital Murder by Terror Threat, three counts of Capital Murder of Multiple Persons, two counts of Attempted Capital Murder, and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon – as well as an out-of-county felony charge and three out-of-county misdemeanors. He also faces four Writs of Attachment.