Shane James Trial: Opening Arguments Begin, With Prosecutors Saying He Knew What He Was Doing and the Defense Pleading Insanity
Day one of testimony in Travis County focused on the first Austin scene, as the state promised 35 witnesses and the defense described the 'laser masters' delusions it says controlled the man accused of killing six people.
Opening arguments began Thursday in the capital murder trial of Shane James Jr., the man accused of murdering six people and wounding three others in a December 5, 2023 shooting spree that began in San Antonio and continued in Austin, FOX 7 Austin reported. James has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys plan to use the insanity defense, arguing there were "laser masters" in his mind.
Prosecutors argued that James knew what he was doing throughout the spree and said they plan to call 35 witnesses. "An expert witness will get up there and tell you that when this defendant, Shane James, killed those four people, he was sane at the time, he knew it wasn't legal, and he knew what he was doing was wrong," prosecutor Rickey Jones said during opening arguments, as reported by FOX 7.
The defense told jurors James holds a degree in philosophy and served in the Army, and that the onset of schizophrenia showed up over time, with three emergency detentions in four years before the shootings. "He doesn't know what is right, he doesn't know what is wrong, due to these delusions. The delusions being the laser masters controlling him and telling him what's going on and what to do," defense attorney Michael Watson said, pointing to rambling journal pages to illustrate the delusions. FOX 7 reported that James was found incompetent to stand trial in 2024 and sent to a state mental hospital, and that his competency was restored in 2025.
Thursday morning's proceedings focused on the first Austin scene at Northeast Early College High School. Jurors heard from Sgt. Val Barnes, the Austin ISD officer who was shot in the leg as he drove away after spotting James, and two forensic specialists testified on the shell casings and bullet holes in the AISD vehicle. Police say James shot and injured the AISD officer before killing four more people in Austin and injuring two others, after first killing his parents in San Antonio.
