The Verdict Is In: Parents of Santa Fe High School Shooter Cleared in Civil Trial
After a three-week civil trial in Galveston County, the parents of the Santa Fe High School shooting gunman have been cleared of financial liability for the tragic event that left 10 people dead on May 18, 2018.
The jury ruled that Dimitrios Pagourtzis and an ammunition manufacturer were held responsible for the mass shooting, where eight students and two teachers lost their lives. However, the shooter’s parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, were not found to be culpable for their son’s actions.
Despite this ruling, the victims and survivors of the shooting were awarded millions of dollars in damages as a result of their lawsuit.
During the trial, emotional moments unfolded as Antonios Pagourtzis broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict. The case went to the jury after weeks of testimony, and it took jurors a full day of deliberation to reach a decision on all counts.
The victims’ attorneys argued that the shooter’s parents had failed to prevent their son from accessing their firearms or seeking help for his mental health issues. They pointed to red flags such as disturbing social media posts and online purchases of weapons and ammunition.
While Kosmetatos testified that her son had become more introverted in his later years, she maintained that he was a bright and normal child with no significant problems. She admitted that there were signs that he wasn’t himself leading up to the shooting, but she hoped it would pass.
Antonios Pagourtzis, on the other hand, claimed he was unaware of his son’s feelings of rejection and depression at school. Despite his efforts to secure their firearms, the shooter was able to access his parents’ weapons during the tragic event.
It was revealed that the shooter had purchased ammunition from an online retailer without age verification. Lucky Gunner, the ammunition seller, reached a settlement with the families of the victims last year.
Currently, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, now 23, is being held in a state mental health facility after being declared incompetent to stand trial on capital murder charges since 2019.
In a similar case, Jennifer and James Crumbley were recently sentenced to prison for their involvement in a mass school shooting, highlighting the complex legal issues surrounding parental responsibility in such tragic events.
As the community continues to heal from the Santa Fe High School shooting, the verdict in this civil trial provides some closure for the families affected by the devastating loss.