Accused Shooter Appears in Court, Requests Self-Representation

Shane James Jr., accused of a deadly shooting rampage across multiple counties on Dec. 5, appeared in court for the first time on Friday since his arrest over eight months ago. James requested to represent himself, citing dissatisfaction with his lawyers.

Speaking before Judge Clifford Brown of the 147th Travis County Criminal District Court, James objected to his lawyers' request for a mental competency check, calling it "baseless." However, Brown informed James that a mental competency check would be mandatory if he chose to represent himself and advised him to continue with his legal counsel.

James faces seven charges in Travis County, including four capital murder charges, two attempted capital murder charges, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Additionally, he faces three out-of-county misdemeanors and a capital murder charge in Bexar County, according to Travis County Jail records.

Appearing gaunt and sporting a beard, James addressed the court hesitantly, stumbling over his words. Authorities allege that James, 35, killed his parents, Phyllis James, 55, and Shane James Sr., 56, at their Bexar County home before driving to Austin. There, he is accused of killing Emmanuel Pop Ba, 33; Sabrina Rahman, 25; Katherine Short, 56; and Lauren Short, 30, and injuring three others, including two police officers.

According to charging documents, James told investigators he felt "impending doom" before the killings. His siblings reported that James had schizophrenia and had been "mentally decompensating" since his 2015 discharge from the army.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.