Contact Form

 

Texas shooting - LIVE: Dimitrios Pagourtzis named as suspect as up to 10 are killed and explosive devices found at Santa Fe high school


Retired Houston Police officer John Barnes was one of the people shot at Santa Fe High School, according to Raul Reyes, University of Texas Medical Board director of media relations.

Barnes is still in the operating room being treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.

Barnes was in critical condition earlier but his condition is not clear at this time, Reyes said.

Joe Gamaldi, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, tweeted earlier today about the officer:


The shooter at a high school in Texas used a shotgun and a revolver that were legally owned by his father, Gov. Greg Abbott said.

"We need to do more than just pray for the victims and their families. It's time in Texas that we take action to step up and make sure this tragedy is never repeated ever again," Abbott told reporters Friday.

[Previous story, published at 3:06 p.m. ET]

Ten people were killed and ten others injured in a shooting Friday morning at a high school in the southeastern Texas city of Santa Fe, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has confirmed.

Authorities have said two people have been detained in the shooting at Santa Fe High School. Federal law enforcement officials identified one of them as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, and said he is suspected of having fired the shots.

Gunfire erupted at the school, about 20 miles outside Galveston, not long after classes began around 7:30 a.m. CT, officials said. Authorities later found explosive devices -- including pipe bombs and pressure cookers -- in and near the school, the law enforcement official said.

A male suspect, believed to be a student, has been arrested in the shooting, and a second person -- also believed to be a student -- has been detained as well, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

The male that Gonzalez described as a suspect is injured, a law enforcement official said on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe that the second person, an 18-year-old, may be an accomplice but not a shooter, a law enforcement official said.

Two law enforcement officers are among the injured, according to a law enforcement source.

One man is in critical condition with a gunshot wound in one of his arms, said David Marshall, chief nursing officer for University of Texas Medical Branch hospital.

This is the 22nd US school shooting since the beginning of the year, and the third instance in eight days in which a gunman was on a school campus.

Witnesses described students running from the school as they heard gunshots; they also described hearing an alarm at the school, though the sequence of events wasn't immediately clear.

Authorities found explosive devices in the high school and in adjacent areas, said Walter Braun, Santa Fe Independent School District police chief. It wasn't immediately clear if any had exploded.

Santa Fe High School junior Guadalupe Sanchez, 16, cries in the arms of her mother, Elida Sanchez, after reuniting with her at a meeting point at a nearby fitness center after Friday's shooting.

Because the devices were found, Braun urged people in the city of about 13,000 people to "not touch any items that look out of place, and call 911" if they see something suspicious.

Investigators Friday afternoon were searching a trailer where they believe the devices were assembled, a law enforcement source said.

The school has been cleared of all students and staff, who have been directed to a nearby facility to reunite with their families, Braun said.

Witness: Shooter fired gun in an art class

An armed person walked into an art class at the school and began firing what looked like a shotgun, a witness told CNN affiliate KTRK

The witness told KTRK she saw a girl shot in the leg.

At least 13 people from the school were being treated at three hospitals, authorities said. Eight people were at Clear Lake Regional Medical in Webster, Texas; two patients were being treated at Mainland Medical Center in Texas City; and three patients are at John Sealy University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Six of the eight patients at Clare Lake Regional were discharged by Friday afternoon.

Aerial video from the scene showed several police officers outside the school. Some were searching students and their backpacks.

Witnesses describe hearing an alarm as well as gunfire

Angelica Martinez, a 14-year-old student, told CNN she and her schoolmates were being evacuated at one point "like it's a fire drill."

"We were all standing (outside), but not even five minutes later, we started hearing gunshots," she said. "And then everybody starts running, but, like, the teachers are telling us to stay put, but we're all just running away."

"I didn't see anybody shooting, but like (the gunshots) were kind of spaced," Angelica said, adding she heard about four shots.

The witness who spoke to KTRK also said she heard an alarm. She didn't specify if that was before or after the gunfire she described in the art class.

She said she couldn't describe the shooter.

"I didn't look. I just ran," she said.

Police officers work a checkpoint in front of Santa Fe High School in response to the shooting.

Another student, Dakota Shrader, told CNN affiliate KPRC that she heard gunshots only after hearing an alarm in the school.

"I was in the history hallway, and as soon as we heard the alarms, everybody just started leaving following the same procedure as ... (a) practice fire drill," Shrader said, breaking into tears. "And next thing you know, we just hear ... three gunshots, loud explosions, and all the teachers are telling us to run."

Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson after Friday's shooting.

MaKenna Evans, a 16-year-old sophomore, told CNN she was in geometry class when the shooting started.

First, she heard a fire alarm, she said. When the students got outside, her principal told them all to run.

Evans said students hid behind a building across the street from the school.

The high school has about 1,400 students, according to GreatSchools.org.

Three gun incidents in eight days

Friday's shooting was the third time someone with a gun was reported on a US school in recent days.

On Wednesday, an Illinois school resource officer shot and wounded a former student who fired a weapon near a graduation rehearsal at Dixon High School , authorities said. The suspected gunman faces three charges of aggravated discharge of a firearm.

On May 11, a 14-year-old boy in In Palmdale, California, went to Highland High, his former school, and began shooting a semiautomatic rifle shortly before classes began, authorities said . He was taken into custody and is accused of attempted murder. One person was wounded.

Trump: Mass shootings have been 'going on too long in our country'

President Donald Trump addressed the school shooting in Santa Fe Friday, saying that mass shootings have been "going on too long."

"Unfortunately, I have to begin by expressing our sadness and heartbreak over the deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas," Trump said from the East Room of the White House. "This has been going on too long in our country. Too many years. Too many decades now."

Trump said federal authorities are coordinating with local officials.

"We grieve for the terrible loss of life and send our support to everyone affected by this absolutely horrific attack," Trump said.

Gov. Abbott and US Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said they would travel to Santa Fe on Friday afternoon. Abbott ordered state flags to fly at half-staff until sunset Tuesday.


At least eight people have been killed in a shooting at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, in the latest gun violence in a country still shaken by the massacre at a Florida high school in February.

A majority of those who died were students, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The suspected shooter - identified as a 17-year-old male is in custody and a student at the school.

He has been named in US media as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, although police are yet to officially confirm his identity.

Sheriff Gonzalez said that the campus - about 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Houston - is still considered an active crime scene.

Please allow a few seconds for te live blog to load, if you cannot see it click here

“There are multiple fatalities. It could be anywhere between eight to 10,” the sheriff told a press briefing.

At least nine people were taken to area hospitals for treatment, hospital officials said. The conditions of those people was not immediately clear. Mr Gonzalez said a police officer was also being treated for injuries.

Explosive devices had also been found at the school and off campus, Gonzalez tweeted. “Law enforcement is in the process of rendering them safe. School has been evacuated.”

Texas shooting: scene at Santa Fe high school

15 show all Texas shooting: scene at Santa Fe high school

1/15 Santa Fe High School staff react as they gather in the parking lot of a gas station The Galveston County Daily News via AP

2/15 An active shooter incident was reported at Santa Fe High School in Texas KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP

3/15 People embrace outside the Alamo Gym where students and parents wait to reunite following a shooting at Santa Fe High School Houston Chronicle via AP

4/15 Law enforcement officers responding at Santa Fe High School HCSO via Reuters

5/15 Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson following a shooting at the school Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP

6/15 School staff members sit in a school bus to be transported to another school The Galveston County Daily News via AP

7/15 A Santa Fe Police officer consoles others after the shooting The Galveston County Daily News via AP

8/15 Emergency personnel and law enforcement officers respond to claims that an active shooter was reported on campus KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP

9/15 Police officers work a check point in front of Santa Fe High School The Galveston County Daily News via AP

10/15 A woman prays in the grass outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their kids following a shooting at Santa Fe High School Houston Chronicle via AP

11/15 Santa Fe High School freshman Caitlyn Girouard, center, hugs her friend outside the Alamo Gym Houston Chronicle via AP

12/15 A Pearland Police armored vehicle stands in front of Santa Fe High School The Galveston County Daily News via AP

13/15 Emergency responders from multiple agencies work at the scene The Galveston County Daily News via AP

14/15 KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP

15/15 KTRK-TV ABC13 via AP

President Donald Trump called the shooting heartbreaking and said that federal and local authorities were coordinating in the wake of the gun attack.

“My administration is determined to do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools and to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and to others,” Mr Trump said at the White House.

Donald Trump issues statement after Santa Fe High School shooting

Student Leila Butler told the local ABC affiliate that fire alarms went off at about 7.45am local time and students left their classrooms. She said some students believe they heard shots fired, and that she was sheltering with other students and teachers near campus.

Another student, Dakota Shrader, told Fox 26 TV her 17-year-old girlfriend told her by phone that she was wounded but was recovering in a hospital. "My friend got injured," said an emotional Shrader. "Her leg, she got shot in the leg."

Dr David Marshall, chief nursing officer at the University of Texas Medical Branch, said that the hospital was treating at least three patients - two adults and one person under 18. He said it was not immediately clear if that child was a student.

"I know that they have gunshot wounds but that's the extent of the knowledge I have at this point," Marshall told reporters at a news conference. "One adult is in our operating room."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a statement on the shooting: "The thoughts and prayers of all Texans are with the people of Santa Fe and those affected by today's tragic shooting. As horrific reports come out of Santa Fe High School, my office stands ready to assist local law enforcement as needed."


Governor Greg Abbott confirms the number of fatalities in a shooting at a high school about an hour south-east of Houston

Ten people have been killed and 10 wounded in a shooting at a Texas high school, the governor confirms.

Police responded to reports of a shooter at Santa Fe high school, about an hour from Houston, on Friday morning before 8am local time. Students evacuated the school amid a heavy presence of law enforcement and first responders.

Texas governor Greg Abbott confirmed on Friday afternoon that 10 people had been killed at Sante Fe high school about an hour south-east of Houston, and lamented “what has to be the worst disaster ever to strike this community … and one of the most heinous attacks in the history of Texas”.

He announced an immediate effort to gather lawmakers and experts together in Texas to discuss changes to the law to try to prevent such tragedies in future.

“It’s impossible to describe the magnitude of evil here.”

A suspect, believed to be a student at the school, has been arrested and a second “person of interest” has been detained, Gonzalez said. A school district police officer was among the injured and officers were searching the school, Gonzalez added.

By early afternoon, a law enforcement official identified a person in custody in the shooting as 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis.

The official was not authorized to discuss the shooting by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.

A woman who answered the phone at a number associated with the Pagourtzis family declined to speak with the AP. “Give us our time right now, thank you,” she said.

Pagourtzis plays on the Santa Fe high school junior varsity football team, and is a member of a dance squad with a local Greek Orthodox church.

Abbott said the shooter used a shotgun and a .38 revolver. “Both of these weapons were obtained by the shooter from his father,” he said, adding that the father legally owned them.

The governor announced he would organized strategic talks with Texas lawmakers “to begin to work on swift solutions to prevent tragedies like this from every happening again”.

Abbott said the shooter, who is in the custody of the Santa Fe Police Department, had told officers he had intended to kill at the school then commit suicide, but he got cold feet and instead surrendered himself to law enforcement.

Donald Trump broke off from an event at the White House and called it “ a very sad day”. He condemned “an absolutely horrific attack” and said his administration was “determined to do everything in our power” to prevent such incidents.

He said: “We are with you in this tragic hour and we will be with you forever. We will do everything we can to keep weapons out of our schools and out of the hands of those who should not have them.”

Trump pledged action on gun violence after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February, and held high-level meetings with victims, survivors and lawmakers at the White House. But little action has resulted at the national level to change gun laws, despite a huge movement sparked by Parkland students calling for greater gun control.

Sign up to receive the top US stories every morning

Dakota Shrader, a 10th-grader, told reporters: “We were in class. It was first period. The alarm started going off, everybody went outside, all the teachers were like: ‘Get this way, get this way, come over here.’ Next thing you know we hear the booms and everybody starts running as fast as they can.”

A friend was shot in the leg, she said, “and the next thing you know all the art [class] windows are getting shot, shattered”.

Authorities have not yet confirmed that report. Aerial footage from the scene showed students standing in a grassy field and three life-flight helicopters landing at the school.

Play Video 0:36 Student reacts to Texas shooting: 'Everybody just started running' - video

An unknown number of possible explosive devices were found at the school and off campus. Authorities were in the process of rendering them safe and asked the public to call 911 if they see anything suspicious.

Student Michael Farina, 17, said he was on the other side of campus when the shooting began, and he thought it was a fire drill. He was holding a door open for special education students in wheelchairs when a principal came sprinting down the hall telling everyone to run. He said another teacher yelled out: “It is real.”

Students were led to take cover behind a car repair business across the street from the school. Some still did not feel safe and began jumping the fence behind the workshop to run even farther away, Farina said.

“I debated doing that myself,” he said. Students scattered into a wood, a field and to a nearby gas station for cover. When the initial danger had passed they were taken by school bus to a community center some distance away, where parents came to pick them up and in search of news of their loved ones.

Friday’s assault was the deadliest in Texas since a man with an assault rifle attacked a rural church late last year, killing more than two dozen people. It comes three months after the high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 and is the 16th school shooting this year that resulted in injury or death.

Santa Fe is a semi-rural commuter-belt city of about 13,000 residents located 30 miles (48km) south-east of Houston.

On Friday afternoon, the Washington-based Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence lobbying group released a statement expressing sorrow and anger over the shooting and called for Congress “finally” to take action on legislation to combat gun violence.

Brady Campaign co-presidents Kris Brown and Avery Gardiner issued a joint statement that read: “We are heartbroken today. Once again, children are shot in their school. Once again, another mass shooting has grabbed the headlines, and meanwhile, so many other shootings go by without any attention.

“What will it take for Congress to step up and do their jobs to protect innocent children from gun violence? We fervently hope this is the day when our elected officials stand and take action.”

Total comment

Author

fw

0   comments

Cancel Reply