Texas: Jury finds parents of school shooter not liable for violence

A jury in Galveston, Texas, on Monday found the parents of a teenager who shot and killed ten classmates at Santa Fe High School in 2018 not guilty of the violent crime, ending an unusual civil trial.

Family members of the victims and survivors of the shooting accused Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos of negligence in allowing their son Dimitrios to retrieve weapons from their home and of failing to warn school officials or police about his deteriorating mental state.

The jury found that Dimitrios Pagourtzis and Lucky Gunner – the company that sold him the ammunition used in the shooting even though he was too young to use it – were liable for the deaths and injuries and awarded him $330 million in damages.

Last year, Lucky Gunner reached an agreement with families that would exclude the company from making further payments.

Lucky Gunner CEO Jake Felde said in a written statement that his company was “not responsible for paying any monetary damages awarded by the jury” because it had already reached a separate settlement for the shooting and was not a party to the Texas lawsuit.

Nicholas Poehl, Dimitrios Pagourtzis’s defense attorney, said in a telephone call that his client has no money “and never will.”

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, was charged with capital crimes. He has been declared incompetent to stand trial and will remain in a treatment facility until a judge declares him competent to stand trial.

Judge Jack Ewing told the jury they had sent a clear message with their verdict.

“This message will also be carried beyond the walls and doors of this courtroom and hopefully it will reach the ears of our lawmakers who can help take action,” Ewing said from his bench.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after the shooting at Santa Fe High School on May 18, 2018, in which 13 people were also injured. Among those killed was a 17-year-old Pakistani girl who was an exchange student at the school.

The jury's decision came four months after two Michigan parents were convicted of manslaughter after a jury found they ignored warning signs before their son shot and killed four classmates at Oxford High School in 2021. Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first known parents to be charged with manslaughter in connection with a school shooting committed by one of their children.

Lori Laird, an attorney representing Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Kosmetatos, said before the verdict that it was not fair to hold her clients responsible for their son's shooting spree.

“Regardless of the outcome of this litigation, no one won,” Laird added.

Laird said in an interview that the parents did not know their son was mentally ill and did not see any warning signs. Since the shooting, she said, Dimitrios Pagourtzis has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Laird also said the parents' weapons were kept in a gun safe and a locked cabinet.

Gun safety experts and advocates have said holding parents accountable for shootings committed by children is an important step in reducing school violence. Studies by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have shown that about 75 percent of school shooters found their guns at home.

James Miller, senior attorney at Everytown Law and legal counsel for plaintiffs Abdul Aziz and Farah Naz, said they were disappointed that the jury did not hold the shooter's parents accountable “for their role in this heinous act.”

“Guns are the No. 1 killer of American children and teenagers, and safe storage is absolutely essential in the fight against the gun violence epidemic in this country,” Miller added.