WFCN –
The process of choosing the jury started on Monday for the legal case involving the parents of student Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who is charged with causing the deaths of 10 individuals in a shooting at Santa Fe High School in May 2018.
In February, a Galveston County judge scheduled a trial date following the filing of a civil suit by the families of the victims and survivors.
The lawsuit claims that Pagourtzis’ parents did not adequately safeguard their firearms, enabling the teenager to obtain them. The legal claim also mentions that the parents neglected to provide him with the necessary mental health therapy.
In connection: It is anticipated that a judge will select an impartial specialist to assess the suspected shooter’s ability to participate in the trial.
In a legal document submitted by Pagourtzis’ parents recently, they argued that they are not responsible for monitoring the actions of others and that the harm suffered by the plaintiffs was solely due to their son’s actions.
Accused of entering an art class at 7:30 a.m., the then 17-year-old Pagourtzis allegedly began shooting, leading to a lockdown and the evacuation of numerous students before being taken into custody.
Apart from the 10 individuals who lost their lives, another 13 people sustained injuries.
The lawyers representing the plaintiffs, Pagourtzis, and his parents convened with the judge to go over pre-trial requests and decide on the admissibility of evidence for the upcoming trial.
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“The plaintiffs’ attorney, Clint McGuire, stated that we will request the introduction of any statements made by Dimitrios both before and after the incident regarding what transpired,” expressed.
Roberto Torres, the lawyer representing Pagourtzis, mentioned that there were differences of opinion regarding the motions, but he did not elaborate further. He mentioned that the majority of the movements had been approved by both parties.
At the age of 23, Pagourtzis was deemed unfit to go to trial after his lawyers argued that his mental condition had “weakened” and that he had no memory of the shooting, nor did he comprehend the charges against him.
According to officials, the individual responsible for the shooting is currently detained in a mental health facility, where the legal case will be reviewed once again in 2025.
On Monday, Mayor Brandon Noto of Santa Fe wrote a letter to the U.S. Attorney General, formally asking the Department of Justice to conduct an investigation into the shooting. The correspondence backed up the plea that the victims had submitted to the DOJ two months earlier, urging for an inquiry.
“Even now, the culprit has not faced judgment for his deeds, and there remains a veil of mystery shrouding the events before and after this heartbreaking incident,” expressed Noto.
He proceeded to request that the Department of Justice issue a formal apology to the victims and their families.
Noto wrote that the Department’s response to a past inquiry for an investigation mentioned, “Your letter asks for an investigation into the Columbine shooting.”
According to Noto, they mentioned the wrong shooting incident, a situation he described as “absurd and demonstrates a complete lack of respect for the lives that were taken on that day.”
The commencement of the parents’ trial will take place on Wednesday with the presentation of the initial arguments. Lawyers mentioned that the trial is anticipated to endure for a period of three weeks.