Santa Fe School Shooting: Alleged Gunman Found Incompetent For Mass Murder Trial

After separate reviews by three psychiatric experts, the alleged gunman who carried out a mass shooting at a Houston-area high school in May 2018 has been declared incompetent for trial.

Confirmed Monday by his attorney, the review will likely mean that 19-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis will be sent for a mental evaluation. Prosecutors are not expected to push back against this decision.

Nick Poehl, one of Pagourtzis’ defense attorneys, has said that all are in agreement that Pagourtzis is not fit to stand trial. District Judge John Ellisor is expected to sign off on the findings.

“There’s no reason to contest it, everybody’s in agreement he’s not competent,” Poehl said.

Pagourtzis is facing capital murder charges for the shooting at Santa Fe High School, where 10 were killed and 13 were wounded. Pagourtzis, then 17 years old, was said to have entered the school building in a dark trench coat which hid a .38 pistol and sawed-off shotgun. Explosives had also been planted but were not detonated.

Steve Perkins, the husband of a slain substitute teacher Ann Perkins, expressed disappointment that Pagourtzis may not face trial.

“I think it’s an injustice,” Perkins said. “I believe he knew what he was doing [in the attack], and he knows what he’s doing now.”

Should he stand trial, Pagourtzis faces a potential life sentence with the possibility of parole after 40 years.