In March, federal prosecutors announced that they had no plans to file federal charges against the Santa Fe High School shooter. As Houston Public Media reported,
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas says prosecutors and FBI agents met with the victims and family members Tuesday and that no federal charges will be filed at this time. A spokeswoman declined to say whether Pagourtzis might face future federal prosecution.
He’s facing 10 state murder charges for the May, 2018 shooting.
Something changed in the intervening two weeks, however, because the shooter’s attorney announced today that the feds plan to charge his client after all.
Here’s the AP’s report . . .
HOUSTON (AP) — An attorney for an 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school says federal prosecutors plan to file charges against the former student after they had previously indicated they would not.
Attorney Nick Poehl says Dimitrios Pagourtzis was taken into federal custody Monday and was set to appear in federal court in Galveston at 1 p.m.
Poehl says he doesn’t know what federal charges were filed.
Pagourtzis has been charged with capital murder in state court for the May 18, 2018 shooting at Santa Fe High School in Galveston County.
Last month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said no federal charges would likely be filed.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment.