Share

Grand jury indicts 17-year-old in Texas school shooting

Galveston – A Texas grand jury on Thursday indicted a 17-year-old student accused of fatally shooting 10 people in May at a Houston-area high school.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis was formally indicted on charges that include capital murder of multiple persons. Under Texas law, capital murder carries an automatic sentence of life in prison with a parole option for those younger than 18.

He also was indicted on a count of aggravated assault of a public servant for the shooting of a school police officer who survived.

ALSO READ: Ten dead in Texas school shooting, student arrested

Pagourtzis is being held at the Galveston County Jail without bond. A trial date has not been set.

Investigators have said Pagourtzis admitted going on a shooting rampage at Santa Fe High School that killed eight students and two teachers. Authorities said the teen used his father's pistol and shotgun to burst into the school's art classroom and begin shooting.

Witnesses said the gunfire went on for 10 to 15 minutes, and police said Pagourtzis engaged in a prolonged firefight with officers before finally surrendering.

Planned the attack in journals

Gov. Greg Abbott has said Pagourtzis intended to kill himself but gave up and told police that he did not have the courage to take his own life.

Pagourtzis also had described planning the attack in private journals, according to investigators.

A judge has ordered a mental evaluation of the teen, but the report from that evaluation remains confidential.

ALSO READ: Teen laid out deadly Texas school shooting plans in journals, officials say

The rampage was the nation's deadliest such attack since the mass shooting at a Florida high school in February that gave rise to a gun-control campaign by teens.

In Texas, grand juries have 90 days from the date of a suspect's detention to indict or not indict a suspect, said Galveston County prosecutor Ross Hill. The Pagourtzis case was presented to a Galveston County grand jury impanelled last month, he said.

After the shooting, Abbott called for schools to have more armed personnel, though he faced pushback after suggesting tightening of some gun laws.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
42% - 349 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
58% - 482 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
-0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.89
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.44
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.35
+0.0%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.1%
Platinum
909.30
+1.4%
Palladium
1,015.00
+1.3%
Gold
2,221.01
+1.2%
Silver
24.85
+0.8%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.9%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.9%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE