AUSTIN, Texas — More details are emerging about the man accused of going on a killing spree throughout Austin and San Antonio in December 2023.
Court documents from Bexar County reveal that Shane James Jr., who is currently imprisoned in Austin, admitted to killing his parents prior to traveling to Austin and allegedly killing Emmanuel Pop Ba, Sabrina Rahman, Katherine Short and Lauren Short on Dec. 5, 2023.
James told investigators that on the morning of Dec. 5, he felt "impending doom." He was watching YouTube videos and writing and putting notes on his wall in anger.
According to James, he then went to ask his father a question, who responded with a joke. James then got a gun and shot his father twice in the face.
According to investigators, James then shot his mother, saying that he "didn't want her to suffer," before taking money out of her purse and driving his father's car to Austin.
In addition to being accused of killing Pop Ba, Rahman and Katherine and Lauren Short, James is also accused of shooting an Austin ISD police officer, a bicyclist and an Austin police officer, all of whom survived.
James did not attend a brief Tuesday status hearing in Travis County, instead remaining at the Travis County Jail. His appointed lawyer, Russ Hunt, Jr., revealed that Bexar County filed a charge two weeks ago against James.
While officials with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office would not comment due to the pending case, a spokesperson for the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to KVUE that the office issued an active warrant for capital murder against James.
Part of the trial process moving forward will be determining whether Travis County or Bexar County will take the lead in the case against James. Travis County was the first to file charges against him after December's deadly spree.