Dimitrios Pagourtzis

Mass Murderer

Dimitrios Pagourtzis and the 2018 Santa Fe High School Massacre

Background

Dimitrios Pagourtzis was a 17-year-old junior at Santa Fe High School when he carried out a mass shooting at the school on May 18, 2018. The attack occurred in Santa Fe, Texas, a community in Galveston County approximately 35 miles southeast of Houston. Ten people were killed, including eight students and two substitute teachers, while numerous other students, employees and law-enforcement officers were injured. Before the shooting, Pagourtzis had not attracted significant attention from law enforcement. People who knew him often described him as quiet and withdrawn. He had participated in the school's football program and had previously appeared on an academic honor roll. However, investigators later found writings and electronic evidence indicating that he had planned the attack and had considered dying during it. Pagourtzis had also displayed troubling imagery on social media. In April 2018, he posted photographs of a black coat decorated with symbols that he associated with rebellion, violence, evil and military tactics. Another photograph showed a shirt bearing the words "Born to Kill." These posts received greater scrutiny only after the massacre.

Preparation for the Attack

Authorities determined that Pagourtzis obtained ammunition in the months before the shooting. He purchased shotgun shells and .38-caliber ammunition online using gift cards. Because the transactions did not require him to present identification in person, the ammunition was reportedly delivered despite his being under the legal age for purchasing it directly from a licensed firearms dealer. The firearms used during the massacre were a 12-gauge Remington 870 pump-action shotgun and a .38-caliber Rossi revolver. Both weapons were legally owned by Pagourtzis's father. Investigators said Pagourtzis removed the firearms from his family's home without his parents' knowledge. Pagourtzis also prepared several improvised explosive and incendiary devices. Authorities later found devices at the school and at locations connected to him, including pressure-cooker-style devices, pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails. Many were not functional or did not detonate, but their discovery forced investigators to search the school and surrounding areas carefully after the shooting.

The Santa Fe High School Shooting

On the morning of Friday, May 18, 2018, students were arriving for classes at Santa Fe High School. At approximately 7:30 a.m., Pagourtzis entered the school's art-classroom area wearing a long black coat that concealed his weapons. He opened fire inside classrooms used for art instruction, where students and teachers had little warning or opportunity to escape. Students attempted to hide in closets, behind classroom furniture and in adjoining rooms. Some tried to barricade doors while others fled through available exits. The confined layout of the art rooms and storage areas created dangerous bottlenecks as the shooting continued. Christian Riley Garcia, a 15-year-old student, was remembered for trying to protect classmates by holding a storage-room door closed. He was killed during the attack. Other students attempted to help injured classmates or remained hidden until police officers reached them. School employees initiated an emergency response as reports of gunfire spread across the campus. Students in other parts of the building were placed under lockdown or evacuated. Frightened students ran from the school with their hands raised while officers moved toward the art rooms. ...

Confirmed Victims: (10)

Jared Black 17 yr old Male

Santa Fe High School shooting