In a Galveston, Texas, courtroom, the parents of Dimitrios Pagourtzis are facing a civil trial where they are alleged to have ignored signs of their son's failing mental health, missed his issues in school, and allowed him access to the family's guns, which he used to carry out a devastating school shooting. The trial raises the crucial question of whether parents can be held accountable for their child's actions in cases of mass shootings.

The trial against Antonios Pagourtzis and Rose Marie Kosmetatos parallels the case of Jennifer and James Crumbley, who earlier this year became the first parents in Michigan to be charged and convicted of a crime for their son Ethan's school shooting in 2021. Although the trials differ in terms of location and legal consequences (civil versus criminal), both cases revolve around the central issue of parental responsibility.

These cases are part of a broader push to hold parents accountable for the alarming rise in school shootings across the United States. The focus has shifted towards examining how teenage shooters gain access to firearms and what parents may have known or neglected prior to the tragedies.

The trial against the Pagourtzis parents comes more than six years after their son fatally shot eight students and two teachers at Santa Fe High School. Authorities revealed that the firearms used in the attack were legally owned by the parents. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include families of the victims and survivors of the shooting, who argue that the parents were negligent in allowing their son access to the weapons and failing to seek proper mental health counseling for him.

During the trial, the parents maintained that they did not witness any warning signs preceding the shooting and claimed to have secured their firearms. However, the lawsuit hinges on the allegation that they were negligent in their responsibilities as parents.

Unlike the criminal charges faced by the Crumbley parents, the Pagourtzis parents have not been charged with a crime. Under Texas law, making a firearm accessible to a child is a crime, but in this case, the shooter was 17 years old at the time. Proving that the parents "failed to secure the firearm" would be essential for charges to be brought against them.

The trial signifies the first legal case against parents of a school shooter to reach court since the Crumbley parents' conviction for involuntary manslaughter. In that case, prosecutors argued that the parents had been "grossly negligent" by ignoring warning signs of their son's deteriorating mental health and acquiring a firearm shortly before the tragic incident.

The closing arguments in the Pagourtzis trial highlighted the parents' alleged knowledge of their son's mental health issues, their failure to secure their guns, and evidence of his struggling academics and social behavior. These arguments closely resemble the prosecution's case against the Crumbley parents.

As the jury now begins deliberations, Misty Marris, a trial lawyer following both cases, emphasizes the significance of holding parents accountable for the actions of their children. These trials not only seek justice for the victims and survivors but also contribute to the ongoing national conversation on preventing school shootings and promoting responsible gun ownership.

The outcome of the trial could have far-reaching implications for future cases and potentially shape legislation related to parental liability in instances of school shootings. As communities reckon with the devastating consequences of such tragedies, the crucial question remains: Could the shooter's parents have prevented this massacre?

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