Santa Fe High School Shooting
On May 18, 2018, ten people were killed and thirteen others injured in a shooting at Sante Fe High School, between Houston and Galveston. The shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, was a 17-year-old student at the school who used his mom’s .38 revolver and dad’s 12-gauge shotgun in the attack. Of those who were killed in the senseless tragedy, eight were students and two were substitute teachers.
Authorities charged Pagourtzis with capital murder and aggravated assault against a public servant, but his criminal case has been on hold since November 2019, when he was declared incompetent to stand trial. He remains in a state mental health facility. A civil lawsuit was subsequently filed against the the shooter and the shooter’s parents by relatives of seven of the people who were killed and four of the people who were wounded in the attack.
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers was honored to be a part of the team that brought suit against the shooter and his parents. Our very own Alton C. Todd played a key role as an attorney representing the families in this landmark case.
The Shooting
In March of 2018, Pagourtzis logged onto LuckyGunner.com and purchased 50 rounds of .38 special ammunition, 105 rounds of 12-gage shotgun ammunition, and, later, an additional 35 rounds of shotgun ammunition. The website did not require him to provide any proof of age. He paid using a gift card, used his real name and address, and declined the “adult signature” requirement. His orders were automatically approved and shipped through FedEx.
On the morning of May 18, 2018, Pagourtzis entered an art classroom and began firing his weapons. He targeted two art classrooms that were connected through three small rooms. After killing ten and wounding thirteen others, he threatened police who confronted him, but eventually surrendered. The victims ranged from 14 to 64 years old.
Pagourtzis grew up a good student and played on the school’s football team, but his behavior started to change in the 8th grade and continued to worsen. According to at least one witness, he was bullied by students and coaches. The evidence at trial showed neglect and physical and emotional abuse at home. A search of his phone and computer revealed that he had planned this act for months, if not years, and intended to commit suicide after the shooting. His social media pages also housed additional disturbing evidence and language.
The Verdict
During the three-week trial, attorneys alleged the gunman’s parents failed to provide the necessary support for their son’s mental health and did not take “reasonable” precautions to prevent him from accessing their guns.
Ultimately, this jury put the responsibility firmly on Pagourtzis and the firearms ammunition dealer, LuckyGunner, who the Plaintiffs previously settled with for a confidential amount. The jury awarded the families $330 million in total damages, including for pain and mental anguish, but failed to find any fault on the shooter’s parents.
Because of this senseless tragedy, there are parents without children and children without parents, not to mention those injured whose lives will never be the same. While our goal was to raise awareness of the responsibility of parents and gun owners, our law firm believe this trial demonstrates the important role a jury can play if it choses to do so in preventing future tragedies and hopefully brings some measure of closure to the families of those killed and injured. We believe our civil trial played a role in the thought processes of Georgia law enforcement in bringing swift criminal indictments of both parents of the Georgia high school shooter and hold all three accountable.
Our firm’s well wishes are with the families involved. We hope that this verdict can help Texas consider the larger societal implications behind common sense gun safety and help prevent tragedies like the Sante Fe shooting in the future.
About Our Firm
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers is operated by Alton Todd and Seth Park, a father-son team of experienced personal injury lawyers. We have served the Galveston County area since 2000 and have over 60 years of combined experience. We take pride in our firm being built on integrity, hard work, and courtroom talent.
Alton has been litigating for 53 years and is recognized internationally as one of the world’s top trial lawyers. He has been invited to the prestigious international Academy of Trial Lawyers, American College of Trial Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates and is double board certified in personal injury law and civil trial law.
Contact the Texas Personal Injury Lawyers of The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
Please contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers to get a free initial consultation today at our offices in Friendswood & Galveston, TX.
We serve throughout Galveston County in Texas and surrounding areas.
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers – Galveston
2101 Mechanic St. Suite 253
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 207-9299
The Law Firm of Alton C. Todd Personal Injury Lawyers – Friendswood
312 S. Friendswood Dr.
Friendswood, TX 77546
(281) 992-8633
