Pakistani girl among Texas firing victims
santa fe (texas) — Texas was set to release on Saturday the names of nine students and a teacher killed by a gunman, identified by authorities as a 17-year-old student armed with a shotgun and pistol, who opened fire in a morning art class in his Houston-area high school.
Santa Fe High School, southeast of Houston, joined on Friday a long list of US campuses where students and faculty have been killed in mass shootings.
Shortly before 8am, students said the gunman, identified by law enforcement as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, opened fire in an art class, sending students and staff fleeing.
Ten people were wounded, with several in critical condition.
The alleged shooter admitted he didn’t shoot people he liked and meant to kill the ones he did target, a probable cause affidavit says.
Suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis has cooperated with police, said Galveston County Magistrate Mark Henry said. Pagourtzis said little during a video court appearance, answering “Yes, sir” when asked whether he wanted a court-appointed attorney. He was not asked to enter a plea.
The probable cause affidavit says he told an investigator he spared people he liked because he wanted his story told.
Pagourtzis was charged with capital murder and denied bail at a brief court hearing later on Friday, where he appeared in handcuffs and wearing a green prison jumpsuit. He spoke in a soft voice and said “Yes, sir” when asked if he wanted a court-appointed attorney, along with other questions.
Texas Attorney-General Ken Paxton told CNN authorities were investigating whether anyone else helped in the attack.
Authorities have not disclosed how many explosive devices were found or if any of the deceased were killed or hurt by explosions. It is also unclear why the shooter targeted the art class.
“I wanted to take care of my friends, but I knew I had to get out of there,” said Courtney Marshall, 15, who was in the class, adding that she saw at least one person hit. “I knew the guy behind me was dead.”
Pagourtzis spared people he liked so he could have his story told, a charging document obtained by Reuters showed. —