Shane James, the man who allegedly killed his parents in San Antonio before going on a shooting spree that left four people dead in Austin, intends to file an insanity plea, according to court filings this week.
James' attorney on Wednesday indicated he plans to raise an "insanity defense" at an upcoming trial in a Travis County court. James faces four counts of capital murder, along with counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder of a police officer.
James allegedly killed his parents at their home in San Antonio in December 2023 before driving to Austin and killing four people in a shooting spree. He's also accused of shooting two police officers and a cyclist.
James also faces capital murder charges in Bexar County. The accused shooter was deemed unfit to stand trial in October 2024. He was committed to a mental health facility until July 2025. James pleaded not guilty on all charges shortly after that.
James, who previously served in the Army, had a history of mental health issues. He was arrested for assaulting family members in 2022 in Bexar County. He was also involuntarily detained in Austin in 2018 after he told police officers he was contemplating suicide. Police were also called to his family's Bexar County home in August 2023 after he had a mental health crisis and barricaded himself in a bathroom.
James' attorney, Russell Hunt, Jr., filed the paperwork in all the cases associated with James' charges on Wednesday, indicating that he is "to offer evidence of the insanity defense" ahead of a trial. That jury trial is scheduled to start Oct. 26 in a Travis County court.
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