Texas Jury Rules Santa Fe High School Shooter’s Parents Bear No Responsibility

A Texas jury ruled Monday that the parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who killed 10 people and wounded 13 others in a 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School, are not financially liable for their son's actions.

“The parents didn’t pull the trigger, the parents didn’t give him a gun,” - Lori Laird, the Pagourtzis' family attorney

The Case:

• Survivors and families of victims argued that Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos were negligent in storing their weapons and ignoring signs that their son posed a threat.
• The defence argued that Pagourtzis' mental break and his plans for the shooting could not have been predicted, and that their guns were locked up.
• The civil trial heard testimony from families of victims and survivors, detailing the trauma and loss they experienced.
• The plaintiffs sought over $1 million in damages.
• The defendants (the parents) were not charged with any crimes.

The Verdict:

• The jury found Pagourtzis himself and online ammunition retailer, Lucky Gunner, liable, awarding $330 million in damages.
• Lucky Gunner's CEO, Jake Felde, said the company is not responsible for damages as they already settled last year and were not part of the trial.

The case echoes another recent ruling where the parents of a Michigan school shooter were sentenced to prison time. The question of parent culpability in mass shootings remains a critical issue in the US.