Attorneys representing the victims of the 2018 school shooting near Houston have asked jurors to hold the parents of the accused shooter accountable. The lawsuit targets Dimitrios Pagourtzis and his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, seeking at least $1 million in damages for the shooting at Santa Fe High School that resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals. The victims’ attorneys argue that the parents failed to provide the necessary support for the shooter’s mental health and did not take sufficient measures to prevent him from accessing their guns.
The shooting took place on May 18, 2018, when 17-year-old Pagourtzis fatally shot eight students and two teachers. The criminal case against Pagourtzis has been on hold since November 2019 when he was deemed incompetent to stand trial and is currently held at a state mental health facility.
The lawsuit, filed by relatives of seven deceased individuals and four of the wounded, portrays the heartache and suffering caused by the tragic event, emphasizing the emotional impact on the victims’ families and survivors. During the trial, Pagourtzis’s attorney argued that his severe mental illness hindered his control over his actions.
While Pagourtzis’s defense claimed he was not in control due to his mental condition, the victims’ attorney urged jurors to recognize his accountability, pointing to evidence that suggests premeditation. The prosecution highlighted indicators of Pagourtzis’s declining mental state before the shooting, contending that his parents should have recognized the signs and intervened.
The parents of the accused shooter claimed they were unaware of any red flags regarding their son’s behavior and mental state. They testified that they had stored their firearms securely in a gun safe and a display cabinet, from which Pagourtzis took the weapons used in the shooting.
The case raises questions about the responsibility of parents in preventing such tragedies and the importance of recognizing signs of mental illness in individuals. Similar lawsuits have been filed following other mass shootings, underscoring the legal implications for individuals who fail to secure firearms and address mental health concerns within their households.