Jury selection had been expected to begin Monday in James’ case. But Judge Cliff Brown granted a request from James’ attorneys, and the proceeding will instead be a competency hearing. A judge ruled in July 2025 that James’ competency had been restored and his criminal cases could proceed.

James faces multiple capital murder and attempted capital murder charges. The Nov. 5, 2026, trial date set in April was tentative. Court records indicated in September that his attorneys planned to pursue an insanity defense.

Authorities say the violence began in Bexar County, where James is accused of killing his parents, Phyllis and Shane James Sr. He then allegedly traveled to Austin, where Emmanuel Pop Ba, 32, Sabrina Rahman, 24, and Katherine and Lauren Short, 56 and 30, were killed. An Austin ISD police officer, a bicyclist and an Austin police officer were shot and survived.

The Texas standard for competency focuses on whether a defendant can consult with an attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and has a rational and factual understanding of the proceedings. James was declared incompetent in October 2024 and sent to a designated mental health facility before the 2025 ruling that his competency had been restored.

Jail records show James faces seven charges in Travis County, including three counts of capital murder of multiple persons, two counts of attempted capital murder, capital murder by terror threat and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He also faces charges in another county. The allegations have not been adjudicated in a trial.