GALVESTON, Texas — Jurors in Texas are expected to resume deliberations Monday on whether the parents of a Texas student accused of killing 10 people in a 2018 school shooting near Houston should be held financially liable for damages.
The victims’ lawsuit seeks to hold Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, financially liable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018. They are pursuing at least $1 million in damages.
Victims’ attorneys say the parents failed to provide necessary support for their son’s mental health and didn’t do enough to prevent him from accessing their guns.
“It was their son, under their roof, with their guns who went and committed this mass shooting,” Clint McGuire, representing some of the victims, told jurors during closing statements in the Galveston courtroom.
Authorities say Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. He was 17 years old at the time.
Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder, but the criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He is being held at a state mental health facility.
Lori Laird, an attorney for Pagourtzis’ parents, said their son’s mental break wasn’t foreseeable and that he hid his plans for the shooting from them. She also said the parents kept their firearms locked up.
“The parents didn’t pull the trigger, the parents didn’t give him a gun,” Laird said.
In April, Jennifer and James Crumbley were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison by a Michigan judge after becoming the first parents convicted in a U.S. mass school shooting. Pagourtzis’ parents are not accused of any crime.
The lawsuit was filed by relatives of seven of the people killed and four of the 13 who were wounded in the Santa Fe attack. Attorneys representing some of the survivors talked about the trauma they still endure.
In the wake of the tragic school shooting that took place in Santa Fe, Texas in 2018, the question of liability has been raised regarding the parents of the student responsible for the attack. The case has now made its way to a Texas jury, who will ultimately determine whether or not the parents can be held accountable for their son’s actions.
The shooting at Santa Fe High School left 10 people dead and 13 others injured, making it one of the deadliest school shootings in Texas history. The student responsible for the attack, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, was 17 years old at the time and used his father’s legally owned shotgun and .38-caliber revolver in the shooting.
The lawsuit against Pagourtzis’ parents alleges that they were negligent in allowing their son access to firearms and failing to take action to prevent the tragedy. The plaintiffs argue that the parents should have known that their son was a danger to himself and others, citing warning signs such as his fascination with guns and violent imagery.
The defense, however, maintains that the parents had no reason to believe their son was capable of such a heinous act and that they took appropriate steps to secure their firearms. They argue that Dimitrios’ actions were unpredictable and that holding the parents liable would set a dangerous precedent for other families in similar situations.
The outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for gun owners and parents across the country. If the jury finds in favor of the plaintiffs, it could open the door for more lawsuits against parents whose children commit acts of violence. On the other hand, a ruling in favor of the defense could reinforce the idea that parents should not be held responsible for the actions of their adult children.
Ultimately, this case highlights the complex legal and ethical questions surrounding gun ownership and parental responsibility. It forces us to confront difficult issues such as mental health, gun control, and personal accountability. As the jury deliberates on this case, all eyes are on Texas as it grapples with the aftermath of yet another senseless school shooting.
