Suspect charged in Austin, San Antonio shooting ruled unfit to stand trial

A man accused of killing six people in a series of shootings in Austin and San Antonio last December is not fit to stand trial, a Travis County judge has ruled.

Shane James, 35, allegedly killed his parents in San Antonio on December 5 and then drove to Austin, where he shot several people during a shooting spree across the city. Four people were killed in South Austin, including a mother protecting her child, a contractor remodeling a house, and a mother and daughter whose home James allegedly broke into in Circle C. Two police officers and a cyclist were also injured.

James tried fleeing custody after his arrest.

Travis County District Attorney José Garza charged him with four counts of murder. He faces another capital murder indictment in Bexar County.

James, who served in the army for two years, has a history mental health problems and criminal background. He had been arrested in 2022 for assaulting family members and was involuntarily held in Austin in 2018 after telling officers he was considering suicide. Police were called to the family’s Bexar County home in August 2023 after he suffered a mental health crisis.

After a mental health evaluation, Travis County Judge Cliff Brown ruled last week that James cannot stand trial, court records show. He was involuntarily committed to a state facility, per state lawand all proceedings are stayed until he is deemed mentally fit to stand trial.

KUT has reached out to the Travis County District Attorney’s office about next steps but has not yet heard back.