A jury has decided that the parents of a former student responsible for a shooting at a high school near Houston in 2018 are not financially responsible for the tragic incident. The lawsuit, brought by victims and their families, aimed to hold Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, accountable for the shooting at Santa Fe High School. During the three-week trial, attorneys argued that the parents did not provide adequate support for their son’s mental health and failed to prevent him from accessing their firearms.
Ultimately, the jury held Dimitrios Pagourtzis and a firearms ammunition retailer responsible, awarding the families over $300 million in damages for pain and mental anguish. The families’ attorneys expressed disappointment with the outcome, wishing the parents were also held accountable. Pagourtzis, now 23, has been charged with capital murder but was deemed incompetent to stand trial in November 2019. He is currently held in a state mental health facility. Contrastingly, the first parents in a U.S. mass school shooting, Jennifer and James Crumbley, were sentenced to at least 10 years in prison after being convicted in Michigan.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of relatives of seven deceased victims and four of the wounded from the Santa Fe attack. Additionally, the jury assigned some responsibility to Lucky Gunner, an online retailer that sold ammunition to Pagourtzis without verifying his age, reaching a settlement with the families last year. Although Lucky Gunner claimed it was not responsible for the damages awarded by the jury as they were dismissed from the lawsuit.
Pagourtzis’ attorney argued that while his client planned the shooting, his actions were influenced by severe mental illness. On the other hand, the families’ attorney stated that Pagourtzis’ parents were aware of his concerning behavior, such as depression, isolation, and accessing weapons, including ordering ammunition and other alarming items online.
Following the verdict, Galveston County Court at Law Judge Jack Ewing emphasized the importance of protecting children and promoting safety in schools and at home. During the trial, both parents testified, with Kosmetatos mentioning her son’s change in behavior leading up to the shooting. Antonios Pagourtzis said he was unaware of his son’s troubles at school and was puzzled by the keys’ whereabouts and how the firearms were accessed during the incident.
The jury’s decision comes amidst other lawsuits filed in response to mass shootings, such as a recent case in Nashville, Tennessee, where a jury awarded over $200 million to the mother of a shooting victim. The lawsuit involved the shooter’s father, who allegedly returned a rifle to his son despite knowing about his mental health issues.
