Santa Fe High School shooting suspect's attorneys describe first meeting with teen accused of killing 10

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Sunday, May 20, 2018
Santa Fe shooting suspect's attorneys speaking out
Santa Fe shooting suspect's attorneys speaking outAttorneys for the suspect in the deadly Santa Fe High School shooting describe their first meeting with their client.

SANTA FE, Texas (KTRK) -- Attorneys for the suspected Santa Fe High School shooter are urging the public not to rush to judgment.

The parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis have hired attorneys Nicholas Poehl and Robert Barfield to represent their son in court.

On Friday night, both described their short meeting with their client to Eyewitness News.

"This is a very young kid. He's in very trying circumstances. To say that he is doing well surely wouldn't be accurate right now, but there's a long way to go," Poehl said.

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According to reports, the teen accused of killing 10 people and injuring 10 others is being held in solitary confinement at the Galveston County Jail.

Poehl said while he cannot confirm the report, it would be standard for the student to be kept there for some time.

Neither man would comment on whether Dimitrios might be competent to stand trial.

The attorneys acknowledged the grief that has struck the Santa Fe community, and offered their prayers and condolences to the victims on behalf of Dimitrios' parents.

We were told, however, that Tony and Maria Pagourtzis are not "emotionally ready" to make any public statements.

"Very tough day for them. I think every parent instinctively knows they don't know everything about their kids, but when you find out something like this today, it's extremely hard," Poehl said. "To those out there who are watching, try to remember, these people are victims too, they didn't know and they didn't expect, and they surely couldn't have predicted (the shooting). Prayers to everyone in this whole mess."

Dimitrios' attorneys said they expect their client to be issued a bond next week.

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