HOUSTON, Texas – It’s the ninth 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.
5:15 p.m. - Court adjourns for the day. Testimony will resume tomorrow at 9 a.m.
4:23 p.m. - Court resumes. Plaintiffs’ attorney Alton Todd questions Antonios Pagourtzis
Attorney Alton Todd asks Antonios Pagourtzis, father of the accused shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis (DP), if he observed that his son was documenting issues between himself and his parents within his writings. Antonios replied that he didn’t think what his son wrote was real.
When asked if parents know kids better than anyone, Antonios said kids can often do more at school because they feel more open. Todd asked if the writings reflected that DP was sad, and Antonios said he couldn’t answer that. He also said he did not know whether or not his son was suffering.
Antonios also said that DP was never left out at home, but his mother, Rose, was more involved with the children than Antonios was.
DP told police that he had social issues going back as far as eighth grade, but Antonios said he doubts that is true.
Todd asked Antonios if he taught DP the basic principles of respect, honesty and responsibility, and he said yes. Todd asked about gun safety, and Antonios said no.
Antonios said he told DP he could come to him with problems, adding that his kids still open up to him.
Antonios also said that he spent six to seven hours per day with DP the week before the shooting, and he never told his father anything about it. DP also did not appear sad to Antonios.
When asked, Antonios said that he had seen DP depressed before. He said that DP never confided that nobody at school liked him, but he had expressed problems with individual friends in the past.
Todd asks Antonios if he believes he and Rose could have prevented the shooting from raising DP better. Antonios said no, that parents do the best they can, and he tried his best. He said he is Christian.
When asked, Antonios said he takes no responsibility for what happened at Santa Fe High School on May 18.
Antonios explained his actions on the day of the shooting. He said he was at home, and he raced to the school when he got news of the shooting. He started asking kids if they had seen DP. When he didn’t get answers, he went to the front of the school and spoke with police. Officers revealed that DP was the shooter, and he asked to go inside the school so DP would kill him instead of anyone else.
3:53 p.m. - Court in recess
3:00 p.m. - Court resumes. Antonios Pagourtzis, the father of the accused gunman, Dimitrios Pagourtzi, is called to the stand
During court testimony, Antonios Pagourtzis, father of the accused shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis (DP), was questioned by attorney Clint McGuire. Antonios stated that he did not accept responsibility for the May 18, 2018, shooting, instead holding his son responsible.
Antonios admitted that he did not know when or how DP obtained the .38 pistol used in the shooting, despite having checked the gun cabinet in March and a week before the incident. He also confirmed that DP took multiple shotguns from the gun cabinet, sawed off the barrels, and used them in the shooting.
When questioned about his relationship with his son, Antonios claimed it was “perfect,” but acknowledged the possibility that DP was insane at the time of the shooting. He stated that while he taught his son right from wrong, he did not educate him on the use of guns.
Antonios was unable to watch the video statement made by his son to the police when it was played in court.
McGuire revealed in a police statement DP admitted to taking the first gun from the cabinet in January 2018. Despite this information, Antonios still confirmed that he checked the guns six weeks before the shooting and all of the guns were in place. He also said he was unaware that his son was making bombs at their home in Alvin and at a trailer in Santa Fe. McGuire said in a police statement that DP admitted to detonating a bomb in the family home’s garage.
Antonios was unaware that DP stored bomb-making materials in the gun locker or that DP had any mental illness prior to the shooting. He also didn’t know about 29 separate deliveries DP made to the house or that DP posted a “Born to Kill” T-shirt on Facebook.
Antonios denied knowledge of DP feeling rejected at school, his fascination with the number 666, his favorite song being “Angel of Death,” or any interest in Columbine, the Virginia Tech shooter, and Hitler.
2:30 p.m. - Court in recess
1:30 p.m. - Clayton Horn, student injured during 2018 Santa Fe shooting is called to the stand
During Clayton Horn’s testimony, he described the day of the shooting, saying he was in Art Room 1, the first room DP, the alleged shooter, entered and was finishing an art project while wearing headphones. He said he initially heard faint noises, then felt his arm go limp. Turning around, he saw the shooter and the gun firing.
Horn knew the shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, from playing football together. He described Pagourtzis as someone he never thought would “do something like this”.
Horn recalled lying on the floor, initially believing he was safe until he realized the severity of the situation. When Pagourtzis approached him, Horn pleaded for his life. Pagourtzis shot him again, and Horn thought he might die. He saw other students running and managed to escape, eventually noticing the bullet hole in his jeans. He said he called his mother and left a message saying, “Hey, I’ve been shot, I’m okay. Love you.”
Horn said he was then taken to the hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries on his arm, including the placement of plates and screws. He endured painful physical therapy but said he hopes to do everything he was doing before the shooting at least one more time.
Horn mentioned that his left side remains weaker, and he can’t fully straighten his left arm. He expressed deep grief over losing his close friend Chris Stone, whom he had known since first grade. Horn said he strives to live his life fully, not letting the shooting define him.
During cross-examination, Horn clarified that while he knew the shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis (DP), since junior high and considered him a teammate, they were not friends. He had no negative first impressions of DP and only saw him at football practice, not much during school.
1:23 p.m. - Court resumes. FBI special agent Kenneth Smith is called to the stand
FBI Special Agent Kenneth Smith testified as the next witness.
Plaintiffs’ attorney Alton Todd asked Smith if he could authenticate any computer data from Santa Fe High School other than surveillance video. Smith responded that the FBI only collected surveillance video.
Defense attorney Lori Laird questioned whether other agencies might have collected computer search data, but Smith could not answer due to limitations on his testimony.
Defense counsel Roberto Torres inquired if all evidence was collected in a single day or over multiple days. Smith confirmed it was collected over multiple days.
Smith’s testimony concluded after these questions.
Noon - Court is on a lunch break
10:44 a.m. - Court back in session
Before the jury returned, attorneys discussed the next witness, the former Santa Fe ISD IT Director. This leads to confusion over whether DP conducted inappropriate searches on school computers.
Attorneys are now questioning Kip Robins, former IT director for Santa Fe ISD, to determine the extent of his knowledge before the jury returns. During voir dire, Robins was asked if he could identify records related to online searches conducted by DP. He repeatedly answered that he could not determine the source of the searches because information such as IP addresses was missing. Robins was hired by the district after the shooting.
The defense objects to Robins testifying due to his inability to address the source of the searches. Robins explained that before his tenure, students did not have to sign in to use computers, and an auto-login system was in place. He implemented a unique login system for students in July 2018, but prior to that, there was no way to track individual students’ computer activity.
The defense argues that Robins’ lack of knowledge about activities between May 18 and July 2018, and his inability to specify the origin of online searches, makes his testimony irrelevant. The judge ruled to exclude Robins’ testimony because he could not determine where the searches originated.
The plaintiffs are considering calling an FBI agent to testify about documents related to DP’s online searches and are currently vetting this witness before the jury returns.
The FBI agent reviewed the documents related to the online searches but could not identify the origin of those searches. When questioned by the judge, the agent clarified that he simply does not know the origin based on the documents shown. The defense moved to strike the witness, noting that the FBI had authorized him to testify only on specific pieces of evidence not publicly disclosed.
The judge asked the agent if he could address whether DP conducted online searches at school, to which the agent confirmed that the FBI collected data from electronic devices at Santa Fe High School, including from a video computer server and surveillance video. The judge decided to exclude the agent’s testimony on the source of specific documents related to online searches but allowed him to testify about other pieces of evidence.
10:15 a.m. - Court in recess
9:40 a.m. - Gayle McLeod, Kyle McLeod’s mother, takes the stand
The next witness, Gayle McLeod, mother of Kyle McLeod, testified.
The plaintiff’s attorney Clint McGuire questioned her.
Gayle described Kyle as always smiling, laughing, and enjoying life. She shared photos with the jury, explaining the moments they captured of Kyle, his sister, and friends over the years.
Gayle described Kyle, who was 15 in May 2018, as always starting his day with a hug. When she received a call that Kyle had been shot, she immediately drove to the school but struggled to get information. She learned through texts from Kyle that he was hiding from the shooter and was advised by his sister, Danica, to pretend to be dead. The texts stopped after a few minutes.
Gayle recounted the emotional chaos of the day, including hearing a loud scream before being informed of Kyle’s death. The following day, she began funeral arrangements, which were held six days later.
She described Danica as coping with the trauma through counseling and medication, struggling with returning to a normal life and preferring online classes. Mark, Kyle’s father, is deeply affected, feeling guilt and depression, and is unable to attend the trial due to the emotional strain.
Gayle expressed the difficulty of being home, missing Kyle’s presence, and the challenge of celebrating holidays without him. She returned to work after two and a half months to avoid being overwhelmed by grief at home.
DP’s attorney Roberto Torres had no questions. Gayle’s testimony concluded.
9:20 a.m. - Pam Stanich, Jared Black’s mother continues her testimony
Pam Stanich, mother of Jared Black, was cross-examined by defense counsel Shari Goldsberry, who questioned her about responsibility for the damages caused by mentally ill individuals. Stanich stated that multiple parties, including the shooter, his parents, the school, and Luckygunner, were responsible. She dismissed the idea that the police response was to blame.
Goldsberry also questioned Stanich about the credibility of DP’s journals and confessions, particularly regarding self-harm claims, which lacked evidence.
Robert Torres, DP’s attorney ad litem, questioned Stanich about parental responsibility for firearms and computer monitoring in the home, to which Stanich affirmed that parents are responsible.
Stanich’s testimony concluded after Torres’ questioning.