Santa Fe High School shooting civil trial: Plaintiff, co-defendants counsel present opening statements
GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas - Opening statements began in a Galveston County civil courtroom in the trial against the parents of accused shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis for a school shooting that left seven people dead and four injured. Counsel from the plaintiffs and defendants laid out their opening statement before a jury of 14 members, comprising nine men and five women.
The plaintiff’s attorney underlined the months of planning that went into the May 18, 2018, tragedy, emphasizing Pagourtzis’s detailed premeditation and his acknowledgment of his own lack of remorse. They suggested that his parents should be held liable if their depressed child accesses unsecured weapons and commits such an act of violence, spotlighting the critical role of Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, the shooter’s parents, in the Santa Fe High School shooting.
E-mail communications from Rose Marie to a teacher at Santa Fe High School revealed a tumultuous family backdrop and parental absences, shedding light on the shooter's mental state and apparent cries for help that went unheeded. Signs of his deteriorating wellbeing, such as self-harm and isolation, were evident.
While there is no dispute over the gunman acquiring his father's shotgun, buying a trench coat, combat boots, and making ominous posts on Facebook, the counsel argues the shooter’s advance planning was known to be wrong and that his actions were an intentional infliction of bodily harm.
Following the plaintiff's powerful statement, which moved the defendant's mother to tears. The co-defendants' counsel offered an alternative viewpoint in their opening statement. They claimed Dimitrios Pagourtzis was not mentally in control of his actions, acknowledging a significant change in his demeanor due to bullying, familial challenges, and mental health struggles that were not adequately diagnosed or treated.
While the defense admitted Pagourtzis executed the attack and acquired the ammunition, they spotlighted the efforts made by the parents to secure the guns, calling into question the adequacy of those measures. They also noted the sale of ammunition to the defendant by Lucky Gunners and affiliates, separating the actions of the parents from the means the shooter used in the attack.
The trial proceeds, delving into the intricate details of the shooter's preparation, his family's knowledge and actions, and the larger question of accountability and prevention in the face of horrific school violence.