10 Dead and 13 injured in Texas School Shooting Friday; At Least 41 Killed and 70 Injured at Schools in 2018
Throughout 2018, will be closely monitoring incidents of injuries and deaths caused by firearms at schools. Please save this page for the most up-to-date reports. Additionally, below you will find an interactive map displaying incidents in which firearms were discharged and resulted in wounds or fatalities on school property.
Updated on May 20:
Tragedy struck on Friday when a shooting claimed the lives of 10 individuals, including 8 students and 2 teachers. At least 13 people were injured, including 2 law enforcement officers.
The suspect responsible for the shooting has been identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17-year-old student who was on the honor-roll and a former football player. The motive behind the attack remains unknown, but Pagourtzis admitted to carrying out the rampage. Disturbingly, he spared certain students he liked so that his actions could be recounted. The family of Shana Fisher, a 16-year-old student who was among the victims, believes that she was targeted due to rejecting the shooter's advances.
The shooter surrendered and abandoned his initial plan of committing suicide approximately 30 minutes after entering an art classroom armed with a .38 caliber and Remington shotgun, as confirmed by Galveston County Judge Mark Henry. Pagourtzis will face charges of capital murder and aggravated assault on a peace officer, but is not eligible for the death penalty.
According to local law enforcement, at least eight people were killed on Friday morning during a shooting at a high school near Galveston, Texas. Early reports also mentioned an unconfirmed number of additional injuries, one of which included a school resource officer.
Witnesses reported that Santa Fe High School was just beginning their school day when gunshots were fired at approximately 7:45 a.m. in an art classroom. The school immediately implemented a lockdown at 8 a.m., and the alleged perpetrator was apprehended and taken into custody after the swift response of Santa Fe Police and the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez informed the press that the casualties were primarily students, as Santa Fe High School has an approximate student population of 1,500 according to GreatSchools.org.
Although the identity of the alleged shooter remains unknown, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry stated that the individual is believed to be a student. He also disclosed that a second person of interest has been detained by authorities.
Sheriff Gonzalez confirmed via Twitter on Friday morning that the situation was under control and no longer posed an immediate threat. Personnel were treating the injured, but the details were still preliminary. Multiple casualties were reported, and the Harris County Sheriff's Office was collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough search of the school.
In the aftermath of the shooting, at least 12 injured individuals were transported to local hospitals. Clear Lake Regional Medical in Webster, Texas is caring for seven of the patients, while two patients were taken to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City. The remaining three individuals were admitted to the John Sealy University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, according to CNN.
Friday's tragedy marks the deadliest school shooting since the devastating incident in Parkland, Florida on February 14, where 17 lives were lost. In addition, this is the third school shooting in the past eight days, with shootings in Illinois on Wednesday and Palmdale, California on May 11. Fortunately, the incidents in Illinois and Palmdale did not result in any fatalities.
Prior to the shooting on Friday, there had already been 31 reported fatalities and 57 injuries from school shootings in 2018.
President Donald Trump addressed the shooting in a video statement, condemning the violence and urging all levels of government to take action in order to protect students, secure schools, and prevent dangerous individuals from accessing weapons.
Various politicians in the education sphere also expressed their sympathies. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released a written statement on Twitter, offering prayers and assuring the public that the Federal Commission on School Safety is actively working towards identifying effective strategies to prevent violence and ensure student safety.
— Betsy DeVos (@BetsyDeVosED) May 18, 2018
I am reaching out to our members who are currently in the affected area. I am extremely thankful for the first responders who are assisting in this situation. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are affected by the school incident. However, it is long overdue for us to address the issue of gun violence. #endgunviolence https://t.co/ZYLzhtkGR1
— Randi Weingarten (@rweingarten) May 18, 2018
This map displays the locations of school shootings where individuals were injured or killed. Incidents resulting in injuries are marked with blue labels, while incidents resulting in fatalities are marked with red labels. The most recent incident is indicated by a larger icon. By clicking on the icons, you can access detailed information about each specific incident.
Insights behind the statistics:
On a national level, a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that approximately 1,300 children (aged 17 and under) lose their lives to gunshot wounds each year, while 5,790 receive treatment for gun-related injuries. Although unintentional firearm deaths and homicides of children have decreased in recent years, suicides have seen a significant rise.
Between 2012 and 2014, 53 percent of child gun deaths were classified as homicides, 38 percent were suicides, and 6 percent were unintentional incidents.
According to a recent report from the National Center for Education Statistics, less than 3 percent of youth homicides and less than 1 percent of youth suicides take place within school premises.
If we have unintentionally omitted any school incidents that you believe should be included in our coverage, please send an email to info@the74million.org. Additionally, remember to bookmark this page for the latest updates on reports of incidents involving the discharge of a firearm on school property resulting in injury or fatality.
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