Texas school shooting kills 10, deadliest since Parkland

A 17-year-old armed with a shotgun and a pistol opened fire at a Houston-area high school Friday, killing 10 people, most of them students, authorities said. It was the nation's deadliest such attack since the massacre in Florida that gave rise to a campaign by teens for gun control.

The suspected shooter, who was in custody on murder charges, also had explosive devices that were found in the school and nearby, said Gov. Greg Abbott, who called the assault "one of the most heinous attacks that we've ever seen in the history of Texas schools."

A Pearland Police armored vehicle stands ready in front of Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, in response to a shooting on Friday morning, May 18, 2018. (Kevin M. Cox/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson following a shooting at the school on Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. Shrader said her friend was shot in the incident. (Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

Investigators offered no immediate motive for the shooting. The governor said the assailant intended to kill himself but gave up and told police that he did not have the courage to take his own life.

The deaths were all but certain to re-ignite the national debate over gun regulations, coming just three months after the Parkland, Florida, attack that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

"It's been happening everywhere. I've always kind of felt like that eventually it was going to happen here, too," Santa Fe High School student Paige Curry told Houston television station KTRK. "I don't know. I wasn't surprised. I was just scared."

Another 10 people were wounded at the school in Santa Fe, a city of about 13,000 people roughly 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Houston, the governor said. The wounded included a school police officer who was the first to confront the suspect and got shot in the arm.

Hospitals reported treating a total of 14 people for injuries related to the shooting.

A woman reacts while making a phone call outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their children following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday, May 18, 2018. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Police officers in tactical gear move through the scene at Santa Fe High School after a shooting on Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. (Kevin M. Cox /The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

Zachary Muehe, a sophomore, was in his art class when he heard three loud booms.

Muehe told The New York Times that a student he knew from football was armed with a shotgun and was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Born to Kill."

"It was crazy watching him shoot and then pump. I remember seeing the shrapnel from the tables, whatever he hit. I remember seeing the shrapnel go past my face," he told The Times.

Michael Farina, 17, said he was on the other side of campus when the shooting began. He heard a fire alarm and thought it was a drill. He was holding a door open for special education students in wheelchairs when a principal came bounding down the hall and telling everyone to run. Another teacher yelled out, "It is real!"

Students were led to take cover behind a car shop across the street from the school. Some still did not feel safe and began jumping the fence behind the shop to run even farther away, Farina said.

"I debated doing that myself," he said.

A woman prays in the grass outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their kids following a shooting at Santa Fe High School Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Santa Fe High School freshman Caitlyn Girouard, center, hugs her friend outside the Alamo Gym where students and parents wait to reunite following a shooting at Santa Fe High School Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The gunman yelled "Surprise" before he started shooting, according to Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

The suspect was identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who appeared to have no prior arrests or confrontations with law enforcement. A woman who answered the phone at a number associated with the Pagourtzis family declined to speak with the AP.

"Give us our time right now, thank you," she said.

Pagourtzis made his initial court appearance Friday evening by video link from the Galveston County Jail. A judge denied bond and took his application for a court-appointed attorney.

McCaul, a former federal prosecutor, said he expects the Justice Department to pursue additional charges, possibly involving weapons of mass destruction.

Pagourtzis played on the junior varsity football team and was a member of a dance squad with a local Greek Orthodox church. Acquaintances described him as quiet and unassuming, an avid video game player who routinely wore a black trench coat and black boots to class.

Law enforcement officers respond to Santa Fe High School after an active shooter was reported on campus, Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. ( Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A man hugs a woman outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their children following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday, May 18, 2018. (Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle via AP)

The suspect obtained the shotgun and a .38-caliber handgun from his father, who owned them legally, Abbott said. It was not clear whether the father knew his son had taken them.

Investigators were determining whether the shotgun's shortened barrel was legal, Texas Sen. John Cornyn said.

The assailant's homemade explosives included pipe bombs, at least one Molotov cocktail and pressure-cooker bombs similar to those used in the Boston Marathon attack, authorities said.

While cable news channels carried hours of live coverage, survivors of the Feb. 14 Florida attack took to social media to express grief and outrage.

This undated photo from Facebook shows Dimitrios Pagourtzis, who law enforcement officials have taken into custody and identified as the suspect in the deadly school shooting Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas, near Houston. (Facebook via AP)

People wait to give blood after news of the shooting at Santa Fe High School at Jennie Sealy Hospital at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas on Friday, May 18, 2018. MD Anderson Cancer Center brought a van from their Blood Donor Center in Houston. (Kelsey Walling/The Galveston County Daily News via AP)

"My heart is so heavy for the students of Santa Fe High School. It's an all too familiar feeling no one should have to experience. I am so sorry this epidemic touched your town — Parkland will stand with you now and forever," Marjory Stoneman Douglas student Jaclyn Corin said in a tweet.

She also directed her frustration at President Donald Trump, writing "Our children are being MURDERED and you're treating this like a game. This is the 22nd school shooting just this year. DO SOMETHING."

In Texas, senior Logan Roberds said he was near the school's art room when he heard the fire alarm and left the building with other students. Once outside, Roberds said, he heard two loud bangs. He initially thought somebody was loudly hitting a trash can. Then came three more bangs.

"That's when the teachers told us to run," he said.

Nicole Auzston, right, and son Branden, 17, a junior who was at the school when the shooting took place, react outside the unification center at the Alamo Gym, following a shooting at Santa Fe High School Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

At that point, Roberds said, he told himself, "Oh my God, this is not fake. This is actually happening."

Roberds said additional gun-control measures are not needed, citing the need for defense against intruders.

"What are you going to do if some guy comes in your house and points a gun at you? You can't do nothing with a knife," he said.

Friday's assault was the deadliest in Texas since a man with a semi-automatic rifle attacked a rural church late last year, killing more than two dozen people.

There were few prior clues about Pagourtzis' behavior, unlike the shootings in Parkland and the church in Sutherland Springs, Abbott said, but the teen wrote in journals of wanting to carry out such an attack and then to end his own life.

"This young man planned on doing this for some time. He advertised his intentions but somehow slipped through the cracks," Cornyn said.

In the aftermath of the Florida assault, survivors pulled all-nighters, petitioned city councils and state lawmakers, and organized protests in a grass-roots movement. Within weeks, state lawmakers adopted changes, including new weapons restrictions.

In late March, the teens spearheaded one of the largest student protest marches since Vietnam in Washington and inspired hundreds of other marches from California to Japan.

The calls for tighter gun controls have barely registered in gun-loving Texas — at least to this point.

Texas has some of the most permissive gun laws in the U.S. and just hosted the NRA's annual conference earlier this month. In the run-up to the March primary election, gun control was not a main issue with candidates of either party. Republicans did not soften their views on guns, and Democrats campaigned on a range of issues instead of zeroing in on gun violence.

DETROIT (AP) — Severe storms continued to barrel through the Midwest early Wednesday, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes that forecasters warned could spill out of the region.

The tornadoes were first spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.

As the storms raged on in the pre-dawn hours Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh warned that a tornado in northeastern Ohio could cross into Pennsylvania. Parts of West Virginia were also under a tornado warning.

Hours earlier in southwestern Michigan, two tornadoes blitzed the city of Portage near Kalamazoo on Tuesday night, destroying homes and commercial buildings, including a FedEx facility that was ripped apart.

There were no serious injuries immediately reported, but city officials said in a news release that the twisters knocked out power to more than 20,000 people. Most of them would be without power until late Wednesday, city officials said.

At one point, about 50 people were trapped inside the FedEx facility because of downed power lines. But company spokesperson Shannon Davis said late Tuesday that “all team members are safe and accounted for.”

Tuesday's storms came a day after parts of the central United States were battered by heavy rain, strong winds, hail and twisters. Both the Plains and Midwest have been hammered by tornadoes this spring.

On Monday night, a deadly twister in Oklahoma tore through the small 1,000-person town of Barnsdall. At least one person was killed and another was missing. Dozens of homes were destroyed.

Aerial videos showed homes reduced to piles of rubble and others with roofs torn off. The twister tossed vehicles, downed power lines and stripped limbs and bark from trees across the town. A 160-acre (65-hectare) wax manufacturing facility in the community also sustained heavy damage.

It was the second tornado to hit Barnsdall in five weeks — a twister on April 1 with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph (145 to 161 kph) damaged homes and blew down trees and power poles.

Before Monday night's powerful tornado touched down, the National Weather Service had warned that “a large and life-threatening tornado” north of Tulsa was headed toward Barnsdall and the nearby town of Bartlesville.

At the Hampton Inn in Bartlesville, several splintered 2x4s were driven into the south side of the building. Chunks of insulation, twisted metal and other debris were scattered over the hotel’s lawn, and vehicles in the parking lot were heavily damaged with blown-out windows.

Hotel guest Matthew Macedo said he was ushered into a laundry room to wait out the storm.

“When the impact occurred, it was incredibly sudden,” he said.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who toured the twister's damage on Tuesday, said it was rated by weather researchers as a violent tornado with winds reaching up to 200 mph (322 kph). Stitt said he and legislative leaders have agreed to set aside $45 million in this year’s budget to help storm-damaged communities.

“Oklahomans are resilient,” Stitt said, “and we’re going to rebuild.”

Areas in Oklahoma, including Sulphur and Holdenville, are still recovering from a tornado that killed four and left thousands without power late last month.

The powerful storms come amid a wild swing in severe weather across the globe that includes some of the worst-ever flooding in Brazil and a brutal Asian heat wave.

Across the U.S., the entire week is looking stormy. The eastern U.S. and the South are expected to get the brunt of the bad weather through the rest of the week, including in Indianapolis, Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Cincinnati — cities where more than 21 million people live. It should be clear over the weekend.

Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press journalists around the country contributed to this report, including Rio Yamat, Heather Hollingsworth, Colleen Slevin, Jim Salter, Kathy McCormack, Sarah Brumfield and Beatrice Dupuy.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

Debris litters the ground near a damaged building after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Buildings appear damaged after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Police and rescue personnel work at the scene after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Debris litters the ground near damaged buildings after a tornado swept through the area of the Pavilion Estates mobile home park, in Kalamazoo, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Multiple injuries were reported at the park. ( J. Scott Park/Jackson Citizen Patriot via AP)

Tim and Joy King looks at their house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

An Oklahoma State Highway Patrol trooper searches storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Oklahoma State Highway Patrol troopers search storm damage Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Brian Yazzie helps clean his mother's home after it was damaged by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are seen. Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People look through a damaged property after powerful storms hit the area, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

A woman walks around debris and damage caused by powerful storms, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Joy King, left, and her granddaughter Crystal Maxey hug in front of King's house that was destroyed by a tornado Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. The two were looking for King's cats and salvaging what items they could. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

People check a storm damaged home at sunrise Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Paden Fincher looks to salvage items from what's left of his sister's home following a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Barnsdall, Okla. Fincher said his sister, her husband and their 3 children rode the storm out in the home. He said his sister was in surgery, but said she was going to be ok. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris and damage from powerful storms are pictured, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Carl Kelley and Jon Reynolds search through Kelley's mother's home after it was damaged by a severe storm, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Barnsdall, Okla. A tornado destroyed homes, forced the evacuation of a nursing home and toppled trees and power lines when it roared through the small Oklahoma town. (Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP)

Debris is seen from a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)

FedEx trucks sit outside a damaged FedEx facility after a tornado in Portage, Mich., Tuesday, May 7, 2024. (Brad Devereaux/Kalamazoo Gazette via AP)