Jury Selection Underway in Shane James Capital Murder Trial, Nearly Three Years After the Austin and Bexar County Killings
Shane James Jr. is accused of killing six people and injuring three others on Dec. 5, 2023 — beginning, investigators say, with his parents in Bexar County — and his capital murder trial is now moving in Austin after a jury found him competent to stand trial.
Jury selection has begun in the trial of Shane James Jr., a man accused of a random shooting spree that killed six people and injured three others on Dec. 5, 2023. Investigators say James killed his parents in San Antonio before coming to Austin. That morning, police say, James shot and injured an Austin ISD officer at Northeast Early College High School. About an hour later, he went to Shadywood Drive, shooting and killing Emmanuel Pop Ba, a handyman who was shot in his truck, which was then stolen, and Sabrina Rahman, who was walking with her baby.
In the evening, police say, James shot a cyclist on West Slaughter Lane, who survived. On Austral Loop, police responded to a burglary and came across James in a backyard; he fired at an officer, the officer fired back, James was not hit, and the officer recovered. Police found two bodies in the home, later identified as Katherine and Lauren Short. James was finally arrested after leading police on a chase.
The case has taken nearly three years to reach a jury. In 2024, James was found incompetent to stand trial and was sent to a state mental hospital for treatment; in 2025, his competency was restored, and in May 2026 he pleaded not guilty. In September, his attorneys filed notice that they intend to use an insanity defense for the actions he took during the time of the crimes. On Monday, a Travis County jury found James competent to stand trial, and jury selection for the capital murder trial began Tuesday; local reporting indicates a jury has been selected, with opening arguments expected Thursday.
