GALVESTON COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) — Closing arguments are set to begin on Friday in the Santa Fe High School shooting civil trial.
The victims and their families have sat through weeks of grueling testimony.
The parents of the admitted shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, are both being sued, with families of the victims alleging that, as parents, Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Maria Kosmetatos should have both secured the family’s guns and gotten their son mental health treatment.
On May 18, 2018, 10 people – eight students and two teachers – were fatally shot, and 13 others were wounded in the school shooting.
Pagourtzis was 17 years old at the time of the shooting. The Galveston District Attorney’s Office has deemed him incompetent to stand trial, and he remains in custody at North Texas State Hospital.
The final witness in the case on Thursday was the psychiatrist who interviewed the admitted gunman. He told the jurors it was apparent during their interview that he suffered from a psychotic illness.
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The Santa Fe High School shooting civil trial heads to closing arguments after a psychiatrist testified about the accused shooters mental state.
Dimitrios was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, Tourettes, social anxiety disorder, psychosis, OCD, a probable transvestite disorder, and anorexia, which was in remission.
Other witnesses who spoke during the trial include Pagourtzis’ father and younger sister.
His father, Antonios, said he didn’t know his son had mental issues, which attorneys argued were evident due to falling grades, antisocial behavior, and an obsession with weapons.
READ MORE: Suspected Santa Fe HS shooter’s sister testifies about upbringing as parents’ attorneys present case
The younger sister of Dimitrios Pagourtzis took the stand and was asked about her family’s upbringing as her parents’ defense team called on witnesses in the Santa Fe High School shooting civil trial.
Antonios denied any responsibility in the shooting but said he wishes he would have been able to prevent what happened. He acknowledged that his son destroyed several lives on May 18, 2018.
When asked if he thought his son should be held accountable for what he did, he said he would leave that to a judge but that he destroyed his own life.
Pagourtzis’ younger sister, Vasiliki Gerbsoti, who is now 20 years old, testified that neither of her parents were abusive. She testified that she and her brother had a standard upbringing.
She said she had not noticed any changes to Pagourtzis’ behavior or personality before the shooting.
The jury will reconvene Friday at 9 a.m. to hear the jury charge and closing statements.
ABC13 will stream the closing arguments live in the video player at the top of this page. Come back here for updates.
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A judge ruled Wednesday that Santa Fe ISD will not be added to the civil trial against the parents of accused school shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis.
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