HOUSTON, Texas – It’s the tenth day in the civil trial against the parents of accused gunman Dimitrios Pagourtzis where we heard from more parents of the victims who were killed during the 2018 mass shooting.
Pagourtzis, who is currently incompetent to stand trial, is accused of opening fire at the Santa Fe High School in 2018, killing 10 people. The parents and loved ones of the 10 killed are now calling for his parents to be held responsible for the shooting, as well.
KPRC 2 has covered the trial since day 1, bringing you extensive details from the courtroom.
3:03 p.m. - Judge adjourns for the day.
Trial will resume Monday at 10 a.m.
2:52 p.m. - Court back in session
The judge dismissed a count in the lawsuit involving negligent entrustment. However, the plaintiffs never mounted this claim during the trial that DP’s parents gave him (or entrusted him) with the weapons in their house. However, the judge says there is enough evidence presented on negligent gun storage for the trial to continue.
2:35 p.m. - Court goes on recess
1:50 p.m. - Court resumes and testimony from Antonios continues
In the resumed testimony, Antonios was questioned about his awareness of DP’s troubling behaviors, including head-banging and isolation during football games, but Antonios denied seeing or knowing about these issues. He did admit to frequently traveling for work and relying on their wife to handle concerns, such as bullying DP faced from coaches and players. Antonios also claimed not to have seen DP’s “disaster-style” jacket, which was linked to the day of the shooting.
When told to look at the jurors and answer if he felt responsible for what his son did, the father answered no.
The plaintiffs rested their case, and the defense argued for a directed verdict, claiming there was no evidence of negligence by the parents and sought to include the school district as a responsible third party.
The defense argued that DP’s parents had no legal obligation to keep guns away from him once he turned 17 and filed a motion to include the school district as a responsible third party.
The plaintiffs countered that parents can be held responsible for failing to prevent their child from causing harm, citing case law supporting this claim. The defense responded that the cited case law pertained to property damage, not personal injury, and emphasized that DP, who could be charged as an adult at 17, took steps to hide his intentions from his parents.
The judge acknowledged that enough evidence was presented to question the safe storage of guns but did not immediately rule on the motion to include the school district, allowing the plaintiffs time to respond.
12:40 p.m. - Court goes on lunch break
11:44 a.m. - Jury being brought back into court. Antonios testimony resumes
For the next hour, Antonios continued to answer questions regarding his son, DP, this time though, the questions were specifically geared towards DP’s childhood. Antonios denied noticing any significant behavioral or academic changes in DP during middle and high school. Despite Torres highlighting various concerning behaviors — such as DP wearing the same clothes daily, declining grades, increased anxiety, and odd physical behaviors — Antonios consistently stated that he was unaware or did not perceive these as red flags. Antonio mentioned that his wife handled most communications with the school and regarding their son’s grades. He said he was not informed about his son’s struggles, including failing grades or increased anxiety. Antonios also denied that DP had any significant issues with driving or chores, and rejected the notion that DP was exhibiting paranoia or other troubling signs.
11:39 a.m. - Judge is back on the bench
The attorneys are now in a dispute over whether any of DP’s alleged past mental health problems can be used to question witnesses.
The judge rules a competency report compiled after DP’s arrest will not be admitted into evidence in the civil trial, but its contents can be used to question witnesses about DP’s mental health issues.
11:21 a.m. - Court on break due to technical issue
11:00 a.m. - Court resumes. Antonios Pagourtzis resumes testimony.
Torres continued to question Antonios about who was responsible for his son’s action while bringing up the fact that he had two kids from a previous marriage.
The questioning was cut short due to technical issues. The judge ordered a break until the issue was resolved.
10:36 a.m. - Court in recess
9:30 a.m. - Defense Attorney Roberto Torres attorney ad litem begins questioning Dimitrios Pagourtzis’ dad, Antonios
Resuming testimony, Antonios was questioned by Roberto Torres about his responsibility for his son before the May 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School.
Antonios repeatedly denied seeing any warning signs (“red flags” or “yellow flags”) before the shooting. Antonios acknowledged the duty to protect children and prevent them from harming others, yet admitted to not monitoring his son, Dimitrios, computer usage. He said his wife purchased the computer for their son and was supposed to be monitoring it because he did not know about computers.
The parent also disclosed that they owned 17 firearms, including a handgun, and kept them in a safe with a key stored in a bedroom closet. Despite this, Antonios said he still does not feel legally responsible for DP accessing the guns and committing the shooting.