In the ongoing civil trial concerning the tragic Santa Fe High School shooting, a judge has ruled that Santa Fe Independent School District (ISD) will not be regarded liable. This decision, as reported by FOX 26 Houston, came amidst emotional testimonies, including from the shooter's mother who expressed disbelief and regret at her inability to prevent the harrowing events.

While the defense sought to share responsibility with the ISD, Dimitrios Pagourtzis' sister testified on Monday regarding the family's upbringing, stating that abuse was not present and the upbringing was standard, as covered in a recent article from ABC13. The shooter's father remained on the stand, insisting the gun safe, which stored weapons at home, had been locked and that only he and his wife knew the location of the key. Following a discovery that his son had accessed the safe, he expressed his unawareness of any mental issues that might have foreshadowed his son's actions, despite the attorneys' arguing to the contrary.

Pagourtzis was deemed incompetent to stand trial by the Galveston District Attorney's Office and is currently confined at North Texas State Hospital. His parents face a lawsuit from victims' families, alleging negligence in securing firearms and failing to acquire mental health treatment for their son. According to ABC13, Pagourtzis' father, experiencing a courtroom demonstration, testified that he was equipped with a gun safe and case, both requiring a key to open.

While the Pagourtzis sibling's testimony suggested a lack of prior behavior changes in her brother, two hours of her statements added weight to the defense's argument that the responsibility for the tragedy should not fall solely on the parents. To bolster this, the parents' attorney Lori Laird conveyed to ABC13, the belief that the school also bears some responsibility: "We feel that the school dropped the ball quite a bit. There are multiple things that they should have done differently, could have done differently, and didn't do." She elaborated that measures like addressing Pagourtzis' duster-wearing behavior could have been an intervention point.

The trial continues with no immediate inclusion of Santa Fe ISD as a defendant. Proceedings are expected to extend through the week, bringing forth further discussions about parental and institutional responsibilities.