On Friday May 18th, at Santa Fe High School in Texas, ten people were killed and 13 injured when Dimitrios Pagourtiz open fired in the school.

Around 7:40 am, Pagourtiz walked into an art classroom, pointed a gun at a fellow student, and stated “I am going to kill you.” Students barricaded themselves in classrooms and closets, before Pagourtiz shot through the doors with a shotgun. Multiple survivors claimed that he was singing “Another One Bites The Dust”, just before firing shots at his classmates.

When the police arrived, it took about 25 minutes to apprehend Pagourtiz after a brief shootout where one police officer was injured.  

Once in custody, the suspect claimed that he was planning on executing the students that he did not like, and sparing the ones he did like.

Pagourtiz has been charged with capital murder of multiple persons and aggravated assault against public servants, but because of Texas law, he cannot be put on death row. If and when he is found guilty, he will serve 40 years to life, with no chance of parole.  

The shooting supposedly occurred because one of the victims, Shana Fisher, rejected Pagourtiz’s romantic advances. Many are questioning why this keeps happening, but it’s clear to many survivors and celebrities that ‘thoughts and prayers’ are not working.

Mr. Chuck Bocian started teaching forty years ago and never expected this much fear to be in schools.

“When I first started teaching 40 years ago, I never expected to have to worry this much,” Bocian said, “I used to have to worry about it maybe once a year but now I have to worry about it almost every three months,”.

Due to his age, Pagourtiz will not and cannot receive the death penalty because Texas declared it was cruel and unusual punishment to serve the death penalty to a minor. 

Incoming NRA president, Oliver North blamed the situation on Ritalin, a stimulant used to help people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder focus. There is no evidence that this behavior comes from Ritalin or anything like it. He claims many of these boys are on the drug because they have a “culture of violence”.

Ms. Tina Hogan works with students who have learning disabilities and believes there needs to be more evidence to his claim.

“I think I would be more interested to hear a person with a medical background make that decision,” Hogan said. “I think we need to be careful when we make judgements like that without having experience on it,”.