Austin shooting spree suspect back in Travis County custody

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The suspect in the 2023 Central Texas shooting spree that left six people dead and others injured has been transferred back to Travis County jail following a stint in the state hospital.

Shane James, 36, faces multiple charges, including capital murder, attempted capital murder and aggravated assault. He is accused of killing his parents in their Bexar County home then traveling north on Dec. 5, 2023, to Austin and going on a seemingly-random killing spree.

The rampage ignited a citywide manhunt that ended the same day when, police say, James crashed while fleeing in a stolen car in far southwest Austin, at the intersection of RM 1826 and SH 45.

James has been in custody ever since. Last fall, nearly a year after his arrest, he was found incompetent to stand trial, meaning he was too mentally ill to understand or participate in his own defense. He was transferred to a state hospital in April for mental competency restoration, according to his attorney Russell Hunt.

Now, James is back from the state hospital, but it isn't clear if his competency has been restored or how his case will proceed. A Travis County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed James is in that agency's custody but said federal health privacy laws bar them providing any information about his mental health.

On June 16, a competency evaluation report for James was filed in Travis County, but the document isn't publicly available. Four days later, a Travis County judge issued a bench warrant saying James was confined in the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon and needed to be transferred to Travis County for a hearing on July 9.

Travis County prosecutors and James' attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the status of his competency and case.