The Tragic Aftermath of a Mass Shooting: A Father’s Perspective
Antonios and his wife, Rose Marie Kosmetatos, are facing a lawsuit brought by families and survivors of a devastating mass shooting that left 10 dead and 13 wounded. The tragic event has torn lives apart and left lingering questions about responsibility.
The plaintiffs allege that the couple should have taken greater precautions to prevent their son, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, from accessing his father’s shotgun and revolver, which were used in the attack. However, Pagourtzis vehemently denies any culpability in the tragic events that transpired.
According to Pagourtzis, his firearms were securely locked away, and he had no reason to suspect that his son was struggling with mental health issues or being bullied. He recounted the heart-wrenching moment when he arrived at the school, believing his son to be a victim of the shooting, only to discover that his son was the alleged perpetrator.
“As soon as I go to the front, that man, they say, ‘Your son the shooter inside,'” Pagourtzis recalled. “The cop is next to me. I said, ‘Look, let me go in, you know, because I hear the shooting still, OK?’ I say, ‘Let me go in, if something happens, let him kill me, don’t kill anyone.’ That’s the time I learn my son is the one, the shooter.”
Pagourtzis maintains that his son bears full responsibility for the tragedy and will continue to defend his stance in court. The emotional toll of the situation is unimaginable, as a father grapples with the unthinkable actions of his own child.
In a separate development, survivors and victims’ families reached a settlement in February 2023 with an online company that had sold ammunition to the accused gunman. The legal battles and emotional scars from such incidents serve as a sobering reminder of the devastating impact of gun violence on individuals and communities.