Judge denies motion to add Santa Fe ISD as third-party defendant in 2018 shooting lawsuit
SANTA FE, Texas (KTRK) -- Santa Fe ISD will not be added to the civil trial related to the May 18, 2018, mass shooting at Santa Fe High School.
On Wednesday, a judge denied a motion to include Santa Fe ISD as a responsible party, which means the school district will not be held accountable in this case.
The victims and survivors are suing the parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the accused gunman in the shooting that killed 10 - eight students and two teachers - and wounded 13.
Pagourtzis' parents are accused of failing to get psychiatric treatment for their son, who was showing signs of mental health problems in the months before he allegedly opened fire in the school.
He has been found incompetent to stand trial.
Pagourtzis' mother, Rose Maria Kosmetatos, told jurors she wished her son had killed her instead of his classmates because she felt like her life "for all intents and purposes was over that day anyways."
"He wasn't raised to do anything like that," Kosmetatos said. "If I had known my son had any capacity or inkling of doing anything like that, I would have personally gotten in front of him."
Kosmetatos testified to a reasonably standard home life. She contacted Santa Fe ISD when there were issues or concerns with her children, looked through her son's phone, and regularly went into his room. She said she had no reason to suspect anything was happening with him.
READ MORE: Mom of alleged Santa Fe HS shooter says she wishes he killed her that day
On Monday, when her husband was asked on the stand if he had any responsibility for what happened, he immediately said, "No."
When she was asked again Tuesday, Kosmetatos paused for at least 10 seconds and said, "I am his mom. I loved him very much. I promise I did everything I could to make him a good person. I can't explain what happened."
Kosmetatos is expected to continue her testimony on Wednesday.
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- Suspected Santa Fe HS shooter's sister testifies about upbringing as parents' attorneys present case
