Shane James Jr. appears in court for first time after Austin shootings

Shane James Jr., the former U.S. Army officer accused of going on a multi-county rampage on Dec. 5 that left six people dead, appeared in court Friday for the first time since his arrest more than eight months ago and asked the court if he could represent himself.

James told Judge Clifford Brown of the 147th Criminal District Court of Travis County that he was not satisfied with the work his attorneys did. Part of the disagreement stemmed from James' attorneys requesting a mental competency evaluation, which James said was “unfounded.”

Brown informed James that the court would require him to undergo a mental competency review if he represented himself and recommended that he continue to contact his attorneys.

Brown requested another hearing in the case on October 10.

James currently faces seven charges in Travis County: four counts of capital murder, two counts of attempted capital murder and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Travis County Jail records show he is charged with three unspecified misdemeanors outside the county as well as the capital murder charge in Bexar County.

Compared to his mugshot eight months earlier, James had lost weight, which, in addition to the beard he had since grown, made him look gaunt. He addressed the court in a gentle manner, the words swirling around in his head.