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UPDATED: Everything We Know So Far About the Santa Fe High School Shooting
An active shooter situation at a Galveston County school has left 10 dead and more injured.
We are assisting @SantaFeISD with a multiple-casualty incident at Santa Fe High School. This is no longer an active shooting situation and the injured are being treated. #hounews pic.twitter.com/m7Wuauk9jk
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) May 18, 2018
Friday morning around 7:45 a.m., 30 miles from Houston, a gunman opened fire at Santa Fe High School and killed 10 people, including staff and students, with at least 10 more injured. It’s the deadliest school shooting since 17 students were gunned down in Parkland in February. Here’s what we know right now, and we'll update this post as new information emerges.
The current threat situation:
The shooter has been identified as 17-year-old Santa Fe High School junior Dimitrios Pagourtzis, according law enforcement per CBS News.
Pagourtzis is in custody and has been charged with capital murder and aggravated assault of a police officer, according to KHOU. A second person of interest has been detained.
Santa Fe ISD tweeted that it found possible explosive devices at the school and off campus; no explosions have been reported.
In an afternoon press conference, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that Pagourtzis used a shotgun and a .38 revolver legally owned by his father. Journals, a computer, and cell phone recovered by authorities suggest the act was premeditated. Pagourtzis' personal Facebook, now deleted, featured photos a black T-shirt printed with "Born to Kill" and a separate trench coat adorned with medals including the Iron Cross, a military decoration associated with Nazi Germany.
Status of the victims and other students:
The injured include a police officer and students. HCA Healthcare’s Gulf Coast Division’s Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, a level II Trauma Center, has received seven patients and Mainland Medical Center has received two patients—two of which are adults—from Santa Fe High School.
Sante Fe ISD announced via Facebook that all other students are being bused to the nearby Alamo Gym located at 3306 Highway 6 where parents may reunite with their children.
About Santa Fe:
Santa Fe is a rural town of roughly 13,000 people that straddles Highway 6 in Galveston County. The name comes from the Santa Fe Railroad that runs parallel to the highway.
Santa Fe High School enrolls roughly 1,400 students; in February, Santa Fe High School went into precautionary lockdown when loud popping sounds were reported nearby.

Santa Fe is a town of roughly 13,000 located southeast of Houston in Galveston County.
Image: Screenshot via Google Maps
Response to the incident:
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner canceled a scheduled noon news conference with other Texas mayors, and tweeted that "for government, next step after thoughts/prayers is policy change."
For government, next step after thoughts/prayers is policy change. That's why I've been forming a commission against #gunviolence. @HoustonTX is unrestrained in protecting our children and their communities. #SantaFeHighSchool #SantaFeShooting #SantaFeSchoolShooting
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) May 18, 2018
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, who was in town Friday for the canceled news conference, released an even stronger statement on "the latest mass murder of American children."
My statement on the latest mass murder of American children, this time in #SantaFe, Texas. This must stop. pic.twitter.com/gtkCjLzPWv
— Mike Rawlings (@Mike_Rawlings) May 18, 2018
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick addressed the shooting, saying one solution may be retrofitting Texas schools that have "too many entrances and too many exits."
TX Lt Gov Dan Patrick, a fierce opponent of gun control, says today's shooting may have been caused by Texas schools having "too many entrances and too many exits." pic.twitter.com/tLByRqL6oX
— David Mack (@davidmackau) May 18, 2018
President Trump at first acknowledged the situation in a tweet. “School shooting in Texas,” he wrote. “Early reports not looking good. God bless all!” A later address included the following statement from the president:
“My administration is determined to do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools, and keep weapons out o the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and others. Everyone must work together at every level of government to keep our children safe.”
A man showed up at the school with an American flag and a gun to “offer support.”
Guns and prayers: A man shows up to the Santa Fe High School (Texas) shooting with an American flag and a gun. Another man says "it's an embarrassment." pic.twitter.com/TAixNrJCPp
— Scott McGrew (@ScottMcGrew) May 18, 2018
March for Our Lives, the gun control advocacy group founded in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting, tweeted a statement calling for “action.”
To the students and faculty of Santa Fe High School, we are with you. #MarchForOurLives pic.twitter.com/3DYXOhmwsP
— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) May 18, 2018
A student at Santa Fe High, when asked if there was a part of her that thought the incident wasn't real, said, "No, it's been happening everywhere. I've always kind of felt like eventually it would happen here too."
LISTEN TO HER. #SantaFeHighSchool pic.twitter.com/WeKKuRiUIg
— Babe Ruthless ⚾️ (@ChargeTheMoundx) May 18, 2018