At least 10 dead, 10 injured in Texas high school shooting

A gunman opened fire Friday morning at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, killing at least 10 people and injuring 10 more, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R). The fatalities include students and adult staff of Santa Fe High School, roughly 30 miles outside of Houston.

The suspected shooter, identified as 17-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, has been arrested. Abbott said that Pagourtzis was armed with a shotgun as well as a .38-caliber revolver, both of which are believed to legally belong to his father. A second 18-year-old suspect, thought to be a possible accomplice, has been detained for questioning, and there is another potential person of interest.

The attack occurred just before 8 a.m. local time, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. A student named Paige Curry told a local TV station that she "heard really loud booms" but didn't realize what was happening until she heard students screaming. "It's been happening everywhere," Curry said, per NPR. "I always felt like eventually it would happen here."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The Santa Fe Independent School District said that "possible explosive devices" had been found at and near the school; authorities are sweeping the area to disarm them. Abbott said that "various types of explosive devices" had been found, both in "a home and in a vehicle." CNN reported that the explosives included pipe bombs and pressure cookers.

A motive has not been identified, though Abbott said that the suspect had expressed a desire to commit the shooting, as well as commit suicide, in journals.

President Trump said in remarks Friday that "everyone must work together at every level of government to keep our children safe," while Abbott implored every parent to "hold your child close tonight." "We have two goals going forward," Abbott said: to investigate and prosecute the crime in full, and to "do more than just pray for the victims and their families. It's time, in Texas, that we take action." Kimberly Alters

This is a breaking news story and has been updated throughout.