Santa Fe mass shooting suspect, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, appeared in a Galveston courtroom on Monday as his legal counsel push for a change of venue for his trial.
Pagourtzis, 18, is accused of using a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver to kill 10 people - eight students and two teachers - and seriously injure 13 others at Santa Fe High School last May.
Emotions boiled over for family members of the teenager's alleged victims as he walked into the courtroom for the first time in seven months.
Many of those in the gallery were seen crying as the somber teenager emerged in a green jumpsuit, bound by his wrists. Counted among them were Pagourtzis' parents.
Pagourtzis, who was described a 'quiet boy' in the shooting's aftermath, last appeared in court in January via video call, as charges of capital murder loom.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis (above) appeared a Texas courtroom on Monday for the first time in more than six months, as his attorneys attempt to move his trial out of Galveston under pretenses of an unfair trial
Emotions boiled over for family members of the teenager's alleged victims as he walked into the courtroom for the first time in seven months
Galveston County Criminal District Attorney Jack Roady (pictured) says he'd prefer to have the trial in Galveston, but he insists he's ready to fight wherever the judge deems necessary
'I was looking at him to see if I could see some remorse,' said Sonia Lopez, the mother of a shooting survivor to KHOU 11. 'And I didn’t get it.'
His attorney, Nick Poehl, is asking the judge for a change of venue, claiming Pagourtzis' constitutional right to a fair trial can't be fulfilled in Galveston County.
Poehl says the small county's jury pool is too shallow, and a bigger county elsewhere will make it easier find jurors who haven't already make their minds up about the case.
The judge is expected to make a decision by the end of the week.
If granted, Pagourtzis' trial could be delayed for up to a year. He hasn't yet entered a plea.
Police say Pagourtzis surrendered himself on May 18, 2018, having backed-out of his plan to commit suicide at the end of his senseless massacre
Witnesses say Pagourtzis was wearing a t-shirt with the words 'Born to Kill' written along the front (left). Just days before he had uploaded a picture of the shirt to Facebook. Also posted on Facebook was the trench-coat that peers say he wore to school every day (right). For the photo he added the Nazi cross and a USSR pin
(Pictured: Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson following a shooting at the school on Friday, May 18, 2018)
17 at the time of the attack, Pagourtzis allegedly burst through the doors of an art classroom at the high school, yelling 'Surprise' as he brandished his Father's shotgun and pistol.
Reported to be wearing a black trench-coat and a t-shirt with the slogan 'Born to Kill' written on the front, his rampage is alleged to have started during first period on May 18, 2018.
Opening fire, eight of his fellow students were fatally struck in hail of gunfire, as others desperately scrambled under tables, out of windows and into different classrooms in a bid to escape the frenzied assault.
Police would later go on to claim Pagourtzis spared the students he liked so 'he could have his story told.'
Substitute teacher Ann Perkins, 64, art teacher Cynthia Tisdale, 63, and students Sabika Sheikh, Chris Stone, Kim Vaughan, Angelique Ramirez, Aaron Kyle McLeod, Christian Garcia and Shana Fisher were all killed.
Victims: Substitute teacher Ann Perkins, 64; art teacher Cynthia Tisdale, 63 (left to right)
John Barnes, a retired Houston police officers who was working at the school as a resource officer was the first to confront the man he identified to be Pagourtzis.
The 49-year-old was shot in the elbow in the altercation and was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition.
Pagourtzis eventually surrendered when confronted by police, who say he backed out of his original plan to commit suicide at the end of the massacre - but not before planting explosives around the school.
A source told ABC News Pagourtzis is believed to have ‘studied previous mass shootings and used aspects of those [attacks] in his own shooting’.
From the trench coat to the use of explosives, the teenager's alleged massacre bears a striking resemblance to the Columbine High school Massacre of 1999.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Pagourtzis wrote about planning the attack in journals on his computer and in his cellphone that police obtained.
'Not only did he want to commit the shooting but he wanted to commit suicide after the shooting,' Abbott said, adding that Pagourtzis told authorities he 'didn't have the courage' to take his own life.
Exchange student Sabika Sheikh, 17, (left) had moved from Pakistan to Texas, as he father thought it would be safer for her. Chris Stone, 17, was also killed
On his now-deleted Facebook page, Pagourtzis shared a photo of a black T-shirt with the words 'Born to Kill' printed across the front on April 30. The suspect is believed to have been wearing the same shirt and combat-style boots when carrying out the massacre.
Other photos shared on Pagourtzis's page the same day in April depicted a dark-colored trench-coat festooned with various insignia, including the Nazi Iron Cross, which the teen wrote stood for 'bravery.'
Additional patches on the garb included the rising sun, a Communist hammer and sickle pin and a depiction of the idol Baphomet, which Pagourtzis said symbolized 'Evil.'
A week prior, a photo showing a handgun and a knife appeared on an Instagram account associated with Pagourtzis. The page has since been taken down.
Students at Santa Fe High told NBC News at the time that Pagourtzis wore a trench-coat to school every day.
Dimitrios Pagourtzis was described as a 'quiet' boy by schools peers, who were shocked when he was named as the alleged culprit (pictured in 2015)
Pagourtzis is accused of using a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver to kill 10 people in the massacre. His social media activity showed he had a likening for guns
Police responded to calls from the school at 8 AM, just minutes after Pagourtzis is alleged to have burst through the door yelling 'Surprise!' and pulling the trigger of his father's shotgun
Pipe bombs were found scattered around the school premises by police. They also searched local homes for signs of explosives
Pagourtzis played on the high school's junior varsity football team and was a member of a traditional Greek dance group with a local Orthodox church.
Acquaintances described him as quiet and unassuming, an avid video game player who routinely wore a black trench coat and black boots to class.
Friends said he had been bullied, including by coaches who told him he 'smelled bad'.
Police were hunting for explosive devices in two homes after finding pipe bombs scattered around the school in the wake of the shooting.
Pagourtzis used his father's legally owned shotgun and .38-revolver in the massacre, officials said.
A decision on the location of his trial is likely to be issued by the end of the week.
The next court hearing is scheduled for May 10.
Pagourtzis remains in police custody without a set bail bond.
Link hienalouca.comhttps://hienalouca.com/2019/02/26/texas-teen-who-massacred-10-in-the-santa-fe-high-school-shooting-appears-in-court/
Main photo article Santa Fe mass shooting suspect, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, appeared in a Galveston courtroom on Monday as his legal counsel push for a change of venue for his trial.
Pagourtzis, 18, is accused of using a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver to kill 10 people – eight students and two teachers...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
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