Texas Jury Decides If Parents Are Liable for 2018 School Shooting

In a Texas courtroom, a jury is deciding whether the parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis should be held financially responsible for the 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting that left 10 people dead. The victims' families are suing for at least $1 million, arguing that his parents ignored clear signs of his mental struggles and allowed him access to the guns used in the attack.

PARENTS SUED BY VICTIMS PARENTS

Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time, shot eight students and two teachers. Now 23, he’s in a state mental health facility, deemed too mentally ill to stand trial. The victims' attorney, Clint McGuire, made it clear to jurors that the parents played a role in the tragedy, saying it was "their son, under their roof, with their guns."

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On the other side, the defense argues that Pagourtzis’ parents couldn’t have known what was coming. Their attorney, Lori Laird, said they had no idea their son was planning anything and that their guns were kept locked up.

WHO WILL BE LIABLE?

This trial isn’t just about money; it’s about whether parents should be held accountable when their child commits such a horrific act. The case has the potential to set a new standard for parental responsibility in Texas, much like similar cases have done elsewhere. The jury’s decision could change the way we think about parental roles in preventing tragedies like this one.