Santa Fe high-school gunman reportedly yelled out 'surprise' before shooting, didn't shoot students he liked

Galveston County Sheriff's Office via Associated Press

Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the suspect in the deadly school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, May 18, 2018.

• Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the suspected gunman in the Santa Fe High School shooting in Texas, reportedly yelled out "surprise" before firing his weapon.
• After his arrest, Pagourtzis confessed to the killings and said he did not shoot students he liked because he wanted to get his story told, according to an affidavit issued by the state of Texas.
• At least 10 people were killed and another 10 were injured.

Seventeen-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the suspected gunman who killed at least 10 people and injured another 10 at the Santa Fe High School in Texas, reportedly yelled out "surprise" before firing his weapon, according to a freshman student interviewed by a KRIV reporter on Friday.

Pagourtzis, a student of the high school, reportedly walked into an art class between 7:30 and 7:45 a.m. local time and opened fire with a shotgun. At around 8:00 a.m., Pagourtzis surrendered to law-enforcement officers.

After his arrest, Pagourtzis waved his Miranda rights and confessed to the killings, and said he did not shoot students he liked because he wanted to get his story told, according to an affidavit issued by the state of Texas.

A second person of interest was also taken into custody but was not identified.

Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called the shooting "one of the most heinous attacks that we've ever seen in the history of Texas schools," and described the suspect "evil."

Abbott noted that officials had reason to believe there was a "potential for explosive devices" located nearby after "various kinds of explosives" were found.

In addition to a carbon dioxide device and a Molotov cocktail that were reportedly found in Pagourtzis's home and vehicle, a law-enforcement official also confirmed to MSNBC that four pipe bombs were discovered at the high-school.

The shooting comes amid an ongoing national discourse over gun control and mass shootings. A similar high-school shooting occurred in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, leaving 17 people dead and prompting a national debate over US gun laws.

Michelle Mark contributed reporting.