A Travis County judge has set a trial date for the man accused of killing six people in a single day across Central Texas. Shane Matthew James Jr., 37, of San Antonio, is charged with capital murder. His trial is set to begin October 26, 2026.

Capital murder in Texas can carry the death penalty or life in prison without parole.

James allegedly went on a shooting spree in December 2023. He started in Bexar County, where police say he shot and killed his own parents, Phyllis James and Shane James Sr., inside their home. Their bodies were found wedged in a small room.

He then drove to Austin. Over about eight hours, he shot and killed four more people. He wounded a cyclist. He shot two police officers. One officer was hit near Northeast Early College High School. Another was shot during a confrontation at a home on Austral Loop.

A police chase ended the rampage. James was driving a stolen car at speeds up to 90 mph. He crashed near FM 1826 and MoPac in Austin. Officers found a .45-caliber Inland Manufacturing 1911A1 handgun on him.

James has been held without bond since his arrest. He is charged with four counts of capital murder in Travis County.

The road to trial has been long. In October 2024, a Travis County judge ruled James was not fit to stand trial. That paused the case. He was sent for mental health treatment.

James is a U.S. Army veteran. He had a history of mental health problems before the shootings. In January 2022, he was arrested on a domestic violence charge and then released on bail. In August 2023, just months before the killings, police were called to his home for a mental health episode. Officers left without arresting him, saying they wanted to avoid a violent confrontation.

In July 2025, doctors determined James was now fit to stand trial. The case went back to the 147th Criminal District Court in Travis County. Judge Cliff Brown presides over that court.

Brown set the schedule at a May 2026 hearing. Jury selection is set for October 26 through 28. Opening statements and testimony are set to begin October 29.

James faces four capital murder charges. Each charge relates to the killings in Austin. The Bexar County deaths of his parents are tied to the same case. All charges are being tried together in Travis County.

Capital murder carries two possible sentences in Texas: the death penalty or life in prison with no chance of parole. Prosecutors have not confirmed publicly whether they will seek the death penalty.

The Austin victims included a man and a woman shot near Shadywood Lane. Two more were found dead inside a burglarized home on Austral Loop.

Six people died in all. Three more were hurt. The shootings spanned nearly eight hours and covered two counties.

The trial is expected to be one of the most serious criminal cases in Central Texas in recent years.