Politics

A new state law requires schools to have armed guards. But many are having a hard time hiring officers.

Posted on · The state allotted a total of $15,000 per campus to fulfill the requirements of HB 3, while the going rate for armed security guards with the necessary training can hover around $85,000 in parts of the state.

School shooting

Victims’ families invite the public to Uvalde to mourn with them, city leaders say ‘stay away’

Posted on · An open letter signed by Uvalde officials is urging people to give residents of Uvalde time, space and privacy to remember those lost on the one year mark of the Robb Elementary School shooting while a group representing some of the victims’ families wants people to come to town to mourn with them.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis Santa Fe Shooting

Criminal Justice

Galveston County judge removed from capital murder case involving Santa Fe High School shooter

Posted on · The 5-year-old case is being transferred due to a conflict of interest related to a previous professional association between Judge Jeth Jones and another attorney-turned-judge who met with Dimitrios Pagourtzis in the immediate aftermath of the deadly 2018 shooting spree.

School shooting

“He has a battle rifle”: Police feared Uvalde gunman’s AR-15

Posted on · In previously unreleased interviews, police who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting told investigators they were cowed by the shooter’s military-style rifle. This drove their decision to wait for a Border Patrol SWAT team to engage him, which took more than an hour.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis Santa Fe Shooting

School shooting

Santa Fe High School shooter ordered to get new mental health evaluation by judge

Posted on · Dimitrios Pagourtzis has been committed to a state-run mental health institution since November 2019. A judge determined him to be mentally incompetent to stand trial as recently as this February.

Santa Fe Shooting Memorial

Texas

Proposed bill in Texas Legislature could provide closure to relatives of Santa Fe High School shooting victims

Posted on · Senate Bill 435, authored by state Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston County, would allow prosecutors to share medical examiner's reports and video footage with relatives of deceased crime victims without making that information available to the general public.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis Santa Fe Shooting

School shooting

Santa Fe High School shooter remains mentally incompetent to stand trial, further dragging on 5-year-old case

Posted on · A judge in Galveston County ordered Dimitrios Pagourtzis, charged with capital murder of multiple persons and aggravated assault of a public servant in a 2018 school shooting in the Houston area, to remain at a state-run hospital for up to 12 more months.