In a landmark civil trial, a Texas jury has found the parents of the Santa Fe High School shooter not negligent and absolved them of financial liability for the 2018 tragedy. The jury instead placed responsibility on the shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, and Lucky Gunner, an online ammunition retailer that sold him ammunition without age verification.
Ten people, including eight students and two adults, were killed in the shooting. Families were awarded over $300 million in damages, including compensation for pain and mental anguish.
The CEO of Lucky Gunner told CBS News, “Lucky Gunner wasn’t a party to the trial, so it was easy for the jury to place some of the blame on us because we weren’t there to defend ourselves.”
The criminal trial for Pagourtzis, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, remains indefinitely delayed due to mental incompetency.
During the trial, expert testimony revealed a complex array of mental health diagnoses for the shooter, including schizoaffective disorder, psychosis and other conditions.
Pagourtzis’ parents said they didn’t see any warning signs before the shooting, and his father stated, “Sometimes it takes years to recognize that your kid’s sick.”
The Texas jury decision contrasts with the landmark Michigan case earlier this year, when Jennifer and James Crumbley were convicted and sentenced to prison for their son’s shooting at Oxford High School.
It’s unclear if or when Pagourtzis’ criminal trial will get underway.
