Local NewsNational

Actions

What we know about the suspected Santa Fe High School shooter

Posted at 12:30 PM, May 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-18 20:49:26-04

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, identified as the Texas high school shooter, is being held on charges of capital murder and aggravated assault of a public servant, authorities said Friday night.

Pagourtzis made a brief initial appearance in court Friday night, standing with his wrists bound, answering questions "Yes, sir" and "No, sir" and looking down at the floor. He did not enter a plea and bond was denied. Pagourtzis told the judge he is a citizen of the United States and requested a court-appointed attorney.

Ten people were killed and several others injured at Santa Fe High School on Friday morning, authorities said.

Here's what we know so far about the 17-year-old suspect:

A quiet student

CNN's investigative team reports that Dimitrios Pagourtzis (pronounced: di-MI-tree-oas pag-OR-cheez) started attending Santa Fe High School in August 2015, according to his Facebook page.

Pagourtzis played on the 2016 Sante Fe JV football team and appeared on the 2015-2016 boys freshman football team. He was listed on the Santa Fe Junior High 6th grade honor roll in 2012.

"I've talked to him once or twice. I had my advisory class, which is after third period, with him," Santa Fe High student Mateo Twilley said. "He was really quiet and he wore like a trench coat almost every day."

CNN affiliate KPRC spoke to student Dustin Sederin. who said he thinks he saw the shooter while returning to class during first period.

"I seen this kid in a trench coat and wearing like these tactical army boots and he kind of looked at me weird and then he started walking more but he was walking towards the art hallway," Sederin said.

Sederin said Pagourtzis had been bullied by coaches and wore a trench coat to school every day, even if was 90 degrees.

""He just snapped," Sederin said. "He didn't seem like he'd ever do that."

Another student, Aiden Gomez, said he didn't think Pagourtzis had been bullied, though he was treated as an outcast because he often wore a trench coat.

Talking to police

According to a probable cause affidavit signed by the Galveston County Sheriff's Office, Pagourtzis waived his Miranda rights during an interview at the Santa Fe Police Department.

Pagourtzis told officers he dressed in a trench coat, carried a Remington 870 shotgun and a .38 caliber pistol and shot multiple people "with the intent of killing people," the affidavit said.

The affidavit said Pagourtzis didn't shoot students he liked "so he could have his story told."

Searching for a motive

Pagourtzis is not known to have any criminal record, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters.

Officials have not released any information about motive.

Authorities found writings in the Texas shooting suspect's journals that indicated he wanted to take his own life, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters.

There was information "contained in journals on his computer and his cell phone that he said that not only did he want to commit the shooting, but he wanted to commit suicide after the shooting," Abbott said.

"As you probably know, he gave himself up and admitted at the time he didn't have the courage to commit the suicide, that he wanted to take his own life earlier," Abbott said.

His social media footprint

Pagourtzis has a social media footprint that included an image of a custom T-shirt emblazoned with the words, "BORN TO KILL" posted on Facebook and several images of a black duster jacket with Nazi, communist, fascist and religious symbols.

In his Facebook bio he showed interest in joining the US Marine Corps claiming to be "starting in 2019."

The military branch said it had no record of Pagourtzis filling out paperwork at a recruiting station.

The guns

Abbott told reporters the alleged shooter used a shotgun and a revolver that were legally owned by his father.

The shooter was hiding a shotgun underneath such a coat on Friday morning when he walked onto the campus, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said at news conference Friday afternoon.

The investigation

Investigators were searching a trailer nearby where it is believed explosive devices were assembled, according to a law enforcement source, who says a pressure cooker has been found.

Explosive devices are also found in surrounding areas. Speaking at a news conference, Abbott said the suspect's vehicle will be searched once a warrant is obtained.

Sources said a second person was taken into custody but was not the shooter.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.