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SANTA FE, Texas — The civil lawsuit against the parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the accused Santa Fe High School shooter, began on Thursday.
Eight students and two teachers were killed, and thirteen others were wounded in the May 2018 mass shooting in Galveston County, just south of Houston.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis, now 23, has been repeatedly ruled incompetent to stand trial, with the most recent ruling in January. He remains in the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon.
Attorneys representing survivors and victims’ families argue that his parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos, should be held financially responsible for the shooting.
During opening statements on Wednesday, they claimed the parents failed to assist their son during a mental health crisis and did not restrict his access to the family’s guns.
The first witness on Thursday was Isabelle Laymance, now 21, who was a freshman during the shooting. She testified about helping to barricade a door in an art room.
Laymance recalled that the shooter began firing through the door and glass, yelling “Boom” and singing the song “Another One Bites the Dust.”
Laymance mentioned that she still suffers from PTSD, anxiety, and depression stemming from the incident.
Former Galveston County deputy Brent Cooley also testified. He said he rushed to the school after hearing over the scanner that an officer had been shot.
Cooley testified that he saw four officers dragging the wounded officer to safety. “He looked like he was dead,” Cooley said.
According to the source, the deputy described trying to talk to the shooter outside an art room.
Cooley said the gunman responded with profanities and continued firing before eventually walking out with his hands up.
When Cooley handcuffed the suspect, Pagourtzis said, “I didn’t think I could do it.”
Upon entering the art room, Cooley saw several victims, including a girl with a phone in her hand. Cooley stated that the image of 15-year-old Angelique Ramirez still haunts him today.
During cross-examination, things got tense when defense attorney Lori Laird questioned Cooley about his response time.
At one point, the judge had to intervene, stating that the “sass” was unnecessary.
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The defense argued that Pagourtzis’ parents were heartbroken by the shooting, but that their son’s mental illness was ultimately to blame for the tragedy.
The families are seeking at least $1 million in damages, though the jury could decide on a higher amount.