Texas shooting: Suspect Dimitrios Pagourtzis charged as 10 are killed and explosive devices found at high school - as it happened

Officials say the gunman used his father's firearms and later talked about wanting to save students he liked so they could 'tell his story'

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez Santa Fe High School shooting

Ten people were killed after a gunman believed to be a student opened fire at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas, in the latest spasm of gun violence in a country still shaken by the massacre at a Florida high school in February.

Authorities quickly named 17-year-old student Dimitrios Pagourtzis as their suspect. Later in the day he was charged with capital murder - for which he did not enter a plea - and was denied bond. He was being held in solitary confinement.

Scenes of grief and horror streamed out of the small community less than an hour's drive from Houston. Stunned and weeping teenagers tried to piece together the mayhem they had experienced. Schools were set to be closed for the start of the following week, with the FBI saying Santa Fe High School and the surrounding area would remain a closed crime scene “for some time”.

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Authorities said the assailant appeared to have obtained his weapons - a shotgun and a revolver - from his father, who possessed them legally. Explosive devices were found both at the school and off campus, Mr Gonzalez said.

Court documents said the suspect admitted to authorities having carried out the shooting “with the intent of killing people” and said he spared the lives of students he liked so that “he could have his story told“.

Writings in the suspect's journals that indicated he wanted to take his own life, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.

“We also know information already that the shooter has information contained in journals on his computer and his cell phone that he said that not only did he want to commit the shooting, but he wanted to commit suicide after the shooting,” he said.

“As you probably know, he gave himself up and admitted at the time he didn't have the courage to commit the suicide, that he wanted to take his own life earlier,” Abbott added.

Some fellow students described him as quiet. He also played on the school's American football team.

President Donald Trump called the shooting heartbreaking and said that federal and local authorities were coordinating in the wake of the gun attack.

“My administration is determined to do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools and to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves and to others,” Mr Trump said at the White House.

As the day unfolded, Democratic elected officials said the latest shooting again proved the need for tougher gun laws. They were joined by teenage survivors of the Florida shooting who have turned into vocal fun control advocates.

While Mr Abbott said he intended to convene a series of public meetings to find “solutions” that would prevent more shootings, he did not elaborate on details.

Key Points

• President Donald Trump has responded to the shooting, saying that the US is grieving for the loss of life
• Officials say that they found explosive devices in the school, and nearby the high school
• The suspected shooter has been identified as a 17-year-old student
• Medical officials at the University of Texas medical branch say that they have received three patients, and one is undergoing surgery

[18 May 2018 15:49 · Steve Anderson]

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the situation at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas.

[18 May 2018 16:17 · Steve Anderson]

A number of fatalities have been reported by multiple outlets, but not yet confirmed by officials. The local sheriff has said it is a 'multiple casualty' incident.

[18 May 2018 16:18 · Steve Anderson]

Here is out latest full report:

[18 May 2018 16:20 · Steve Anderson]

  ↵President Donald Trump has tweeted about the shooting in typical fashion.

[18 May 2018 16:23 · Andrew Buncombe]

Local media is saying there are up to 8 fatalities - though these are not official reports and have not been confirmed

[18 May 2018 16:24 · Andrew Buncombe]

Unlike the better known Santa Fe in New Mexico, the Texas city where the shooting has taken place has a population of just 12,222, according to census data

[18 May 2018 16:26 · Andrew Buncombe]

Reports say the shooter is in the custody of local police

[18 May 2018 16:26 · Andrew Buncombe]

[18 May 2018 16:29 · Andrew Buncombe]

[18 May 2018 16:30 · Andrew Buncombe]

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, just weighed in on today's shooting in Texas.

"This has been my fear since February 14th, that another mass casualty shooting would happen before we did anything," he tweeted. "Now, we have 8 more children dead and our leadership in Washington has done nothing. We do not need thoughts and prayers, we need action and we need it now."