Santa Fe 11th Grader On Alleged School Shooter Dimitrios Pagourtzis: 'He Was Actually A Pretty Nice Kid'
SANTA FE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A Santa Fe High School junior said he didn't know suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis well, but was surprised Pagourtzis is the suspect in the mass shooting at the school that left nine students and one teacher dead.
"He was a very smart student and was the last person anybody expected to do this," said Christopher Kurrass, who along with classmates ran out of the school as fast as he could to a nearby gas station.
"He was actually a pretty nice kid," said Kurrass of Pagourtzis. "I'd seen him in the hallways a couple of times and talked to him... He wasn't an outsider but he wasn't a really popular student either."
Pagourtzis, 17, is charged with capital murder and no bond.
Kurrass said he was working on a project in his first period class when the fire alarm went off.
"We all thought it was just a normal fire alarm and we were all just walking out and then we heard gunfire," said Kurrass.
"I saw a fellow student of mine on the floor and I was going to help him but the officers wouldn't let us. We saw a bunch of officers with assault rifles behind the wall and ready to go into the school so we all took off running."
"Kurrass said when his group got to a nearby gas station, he ran into other students who said they were in a classroom where the shooting was happening.
"Friends of ours said they were in the classroom where it was happening and they were hiding and when they came out there was blood all over the floors and the walls."
Kurrass said he's physically fine but like everyone impacted, he's having a hard time with this.
"We were expecting it to be a breeze by for the rest of the year…nobody was expecting this... Keep us in your prayers. Pray for the officer who got hurt in the process, pray for him, too."
Governor Greg Abbott confirmed Pagourtzis used a shotgun and .38 revolver in the shooting that belonged to his father.
Investigators also found information online and in Pagourtzis' personal belongings that shed light on his state of mind.
"We also know information already that the shooter has information contained in his journal and cellphone that he said that not only did he want to commit the shooting, but he wanted to commit suicide after the shooting," said Abbott. "As you probably know, he gave himself up and admitted at the time that he didn't have the courage to commit the suicide that he wanted to take his own life earlier."