Jury Clears Parents in 2018 Santa Fe Shooting Case: What It Means for Victims

Eight students and two teachers were killed by a school shooter in 2018 in Santa Fe, TX. This sparked an ongoing debate as to where the liability lies, and a jury has finally made their decision.

2018 Shooting at Santa Fe High School

17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis was booked into the Galveston County Jail in 2018 after being charged with capital murder for the deaths of 10 people.

On May 18th, 2018, gunshots were heard near the art classrooms. Students quickly realized there was an active shooter and began barricading doors and windows.

Armed with a shotgun and a revolver, Pagourtzis began targeting specific students, leaving the ones he knew alive.

Witnesses in a nearby art room heard the shots get louder and louder as the shooter made his way down the hallway. Just as he was outside of their door, the huddled students heard additional gunfire as Pagourtzis began exchanging shots with a school officer and Texas Highway Patrol Trooper.

Eventually, the officers were able to wound the 17-year-old and apprehend him, putting an end to the massacre.

Jury Finds Parents Not Negligent

In a recent jury decision, parents of the shooter, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, were not held financially responsible for the deaths of eight students and two teachers in 2018.

This comes after wounded victims and families of those killed brought lawsuits against the parents claiming they did not provide the necessary mental health support that their son needed.

The responsibility was instead placed on the 17-year-old shooter himself and the firearms ammo retailer he purchased the rounds from before his assault.

The company, Lucky Gunner, did not verify Pagourtzis' age prior to him purchasing ammunition online, allowing him to use his real name and address. The guns he used were legally owned by his father located in a gun safe at home.

The families of victims were awarded over $300 million, including for pain and mental anguish that Pagourtzis placed on them.