Texas Mayor Blames Casino Climate for His ‘Stupid’ Facebook Post on Mass Shooting

Posted on: July 9, 2021, 06:37h. 

Last updated on: July 9, 2021, 11:50h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Santa Fe, Texas Mayor Jason Tabor has blamed a recent social media post gaffe about a 2018 deadly school shooting on the fact he was “straight up in party mode” at a Louisiana gaming property. He is heading into additional counseling after apologizing.

Relatives of the victims have called for the mayor to resign
Santa Fe, Texas Mayor Jason Tabor, pictured above apologizing for an inaccurate Facebook post on a 2018 high school mass shooting. He said he wrote the post last weekend while at a casino. (Image: KTRK)

Last weekend, Tabor posted statements on Facebook about the Santa Fe High School shooting. The shooting left 10 people dead. Thirteen others were wounded.

Tabor shared incorrect details about the shooting, including how one of the students died and a motive for the alleged shooter, according to KPRC, a Texas TV station.

The statements prompted criticism from the community, with some calling for his resignation, including families of the shooting victims.

Mayor Issues Apology

On Wednesday, Tabor removed the statement and issued a statement of apology for the drunken post. Tabor said he was a recovering alcoholic, was diagnosed with PTSD, and had forgotten his medication before heading to a Louisiana casino for the weekend. It was at the casino that Tabor claims he relapsed.

It’s not my proudest moment and I am embarrassed,” Tabor posted on Facebook about the gaffe. “I quit drinking for a year and thought I could beat it.”

“I have been able to hold it in and I forgot my pill bottle,” Tabor recalled about last weekend’s events at the unnamed casino. “When the meds wore off, it was like a freight train hit me with emotions.”

Shooting Suspect to Await Trial

The suspect in the shooting was identified as Dimitrios Pagourtzis by local TV station KTRK. He was examined to determine whether he is competent to stand trial. He remains in a psychiatric hospital.

Defense attorneys have claimed he does not understand the case against him. If he becomes fit to stand trial, Pagourtzis could face life in prison if he were found guilty of capital murder.