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Mental Exam Sought For Accused Santa Fe High School Shooter

Attorneys for Dimitrios Pagourtzis say their client can’t understand the legal proceedings against him.

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Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, Pool
This Feb. 25, 2019, photo shows Dimitrios Pagourtzis at the Galveston County Courthouse.

Attorneys representing Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the teenager charged for last year’s shooting at Santa Fe High School, are seeking a mental evaluation and saying their client can’t understand the legal proceedings against him.

Pagourtzis is charged with capital murder for the May 2018 attack at Santa Fe High School that left 10 people dead and wounded more than a dozen others. The 18-year-old is currently awaiting trial, which a judge has moved to another county because of intense publicity surrounding the case.

According to the Galveston County Daily News , Pagourtzis’ attorneys argued in a court filing Monday that the teenager’s mental state “has degraded to the point where there is no understanding of the matter and the proceedings.”

The Galveston County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment Monday on the motion.