Santa Fe residents struggle to come to grips with attack

‘You don’t hide away,’ teenager says at vigil

SANTA FE, Texas – Residents of this farm-lined, quiet city awoke Saturday with the realization that they now belong to the cadre of mass-shooting sites.

Some students were healing from bullet wounds and facing surgery. Others were getting ready to attend funeral services for slainclassmates a day after police say a 17-year-old student opened fire in the halls of Santa Fe High School, killing 10 people and injuring 13 others.

It was the worst school shooting since the rampage at a high school in Parkland, Fla., in February left 17 dead, and the worst in Texas since a sniper killed 16 people andinjured 31 from atop the clock tower at the University of Texas at Austin in 1966.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, was taken into custody after the attack on charges of capital murder and aggravated assault of a peace officer. Authorities say theydo not have a motive, but Pagourtzis confessed to the shooting.

In total, nine students were killed along with a teacher. While authorities have not publicly identified any of the victims in the shooting, family and friends have started to post their condolences and name the fallen.

Several blood drives were planned for Saturday to help those injured. The shooting is likely to reignite a debate on gun regulations, coming just three months after the Parkland shooting, which sparked national rallies and protests.

Organizers with March for Our Lives, the student-led movement spawned from the Parkland shooting, announced members would be traveling to Santa Fe this weekend to meet with survivors and offer support.

At a Friday night vigil for the victims, several hundred people showed up to light candles, hug and support one another. Erin Werner, 17, there with her mother, Marisa Werner, said it was important to attend.

“Youdon’t hide away when stuff like this happens,”she said. “The intent was to strike fear into people, but you don’t let that stop you.”