Accused Santa Fe shooter still unfit

Results of annual review keep defendant in school mass killing out of court, in hospital

The man accused of killing 10 people in the 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School will remain committed to a state mental health facility after a yearly evaluation deemed him still unfit to stand trial, according to the Galveston

County District Attorney’s Office.

Judge Jeth Jones of the 122nd District Court on Wednesday was finalizing an order to keep Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 22, committed for up to a year at the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon based on the mental health evaluations of two doctors, Kevin Petroff, first assistant district attorney, said.

A court ruling stipulates that Pagourtzis must be evaluated at least every year to determine whether he’s regained competency to stand trial, Petroff said.

Pagourtzis is facing charges of capital murder of multiple persons and aggravated assault against a public servant in connection with the mass shooting, according to court records.

He has been committed to the state hospital since November 2019.

Pagourtzis is accused of entering the school May 18, 2018, with a sawed off shotgun and .38 caliber pistol and killing eight students and two teachers and injuring 13.

A junior at the high school at the time, Pagourtzis admitted to being the mass shooter after his arrest, according to court documents.

Mental health experts will evaluate Pagourtzis again in 12 months unless something happens sooner that causes hospital staff to believe his mental health status has changed, Petroff said.

Pagourtzis was originally evaluated independently by three psychiatric experts in October 2019, with one each selected by the defense, prosecution and retired Judge John Ellisor, the judge presiding over the case at the time.

All three agreed that he was not fit to stand trial.