Santa Fe High School shooting

On May 18, 2018, a school shooting occurred at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, United States, in the Houston metropolitan area. Ten people – eight students and two teachers – were fatally shot, and thirteen others were wounded. Dimitrios Pagourtzis, a 17-year-old student at the school, was taken into custody. The shooting is the eighth-deadliest school shooting in the United States.

Pagourtzis was charged with murder and assault, and with eleven federal crimes that cannot be disclosed as he was a minor at the time of the shooting. He was declared incompetent to stand trial shortly after being charged, and as of February 2026 is still considered incompetent.

Pagourtzis, his parents, and the manufacturer of the weapons that were used in the shooting were named in a civil lawsuit by some of the victims' families. A jury found Pagourtzis and the weapons manufacturer responsible for the killings, but his parents not responsible.

The Santa Fe Independent School District has an active shooter plan, and two armed police officers that interacted with students in the school. In the year prior to the shooting, the school district leadership made plans to arm teachers and staff through the Texas School Marshal Program.

On March 2, 2018, Dimitrios Pagourtzis logged on to LuckyGunner.com and purchased 50 rounds of .38 Special ammunition and 105 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. Two weeks later, on March 13, 2018, Pagourtzis ordered an additional 35 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun ammunition. In both cases, Pagourtzis was not required to provide any proof of age, he paid using an American Express gift card, used his real name and address for shipment, and declined the adult signature requirement, with both his orders being automatically approved, and shipped through FedEx.

The gunman began firing a weapon into an art class at the school at 7:32 a.m. CDT. The incident occurred in the school's art complex, which consists of four interconnected rooms with interior hallways, and four other rooms. Witnesses said the two targeted classrooms are connected by a ceramics room that the shooter accessed by damaging a door window. During the shooting a staff member pulled a fire alarm, causing most of the school to evacuate.

One wounded victim told reporters the shooter walked into the classroom and pointed his firearm at another person, singing "Another One Bites the Dust" in between shots. According to a witness, students barricaded themselves in the art classroom storage closet but the shooter shot through the door with a shotgun. He left the art room briefly, causing students to leave the closet and attempt to barricade the art room door, but he pushed the door open. Upon spotting a student he knew, he said "Surprise!" and shot the student in the chest. Students are credited with giving victims first aid.

Santa Fe ISD Police officers stationed at the school exchanged fire with the shooter, with one officer being wounded and admitted in critical condition to a local hospital. After the gunman shot into the ceramics room, he was engaged by another school officer and a Texas Highway Patrol trooper who attempted to have him surrender peacefully. He reportedly threatened to shoot the officers and repeatedly fired rounds while arguing with the police. He surrendered to the officers after being injured. The Galveston County Sheriff said officers confronted him within four minutes and allowed for the safe evacuation of other students and faculty.