THE suspect accused of killing 10 Texas high school pupils in an art classroom avoided shooting students he liked “so he could have his story told”, authorities have said.

In the aftermath of Friday’s attack on Santa Fe High School, Galveston County judge Mark Henry revealed the shooter exchanged heavy gunfire with emergency responders.

In addition to a shotgun and a handgun, 17-year-old Dmitrios Pagourtzis had several kinds of homemade explosive devices – though they were not capable of detonating.

Investigators also found a group of carbon dioxide cannisters taped together, as well as a nail-filled pressure cooker with an alarm clock attached.

However, the cannisters had no detonation device and the pressure cooker had no explosive material, according to Henry.

The names of the 10 people who died in the attack were released by the Galveston County medical examiner’s office, with teachers Glenda Perkins and Cynthia Tisdale among the victims.

Eight students were also killed in the incident – Kimberly Vaughan, Shana Fisher; Angelique Ramirez, Christian Riley Garcia, Jared Black, Sabika Sheikh, Christopher Jake Stone, and Aaron Kyle McLeod.

Authorities offered no motive, but said in a probable cause affidavit that the suspect had admitted to carrying out the shooting.

The gunman admitted to police that when he opened fire, he avoided shooting students he liked in an attempt to ensure notoriety, the affidavit said.

Pagourtzis, who appeared to have no prior arrests or confrontations with law enforcement, made his initial court appearance on murder charges on Friday by video link from the Galveston county jail. A judge denied bond and took his application for a court-appointed lawyer.

Among the dead was Pakistani foreign exchange student, Sabika Aziz Sheikh.

The 18-year-old was expected to return home in a few weeks for the start of Ramadan.

Her father, Abdul, a businessman in Pakistan, first heard of the shooting on TV. He said: “We are still in a state of denial. We can’t believe it. It’s like a nightmare.”

He saw a report on a local news channel and switched frantically between other channels to watch the live coverage of the aftermath.

“I called her but she did not reply. I kept calling and sending her messages,” Sheikh said. “My daughter always replies. Or at least sends a message saying she’ll call back soon. But yesterday, that didn’t happen.”

Another 10 people were injured. The wounded included a school police officer who was the first to confront the suspect before being shot in the arm.

Hospitals reported treating a total of 14 people for injuries related to the shooting. Two were listed in critical condition on Saturday at the University of Texas Medical Branch, the hospital tweeted.

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 as well as being an avid video game player who routinely wore a black trench coat and black boots to class.

The family of Pagourtzis said in a statement issued through lawyers: “We are saddened and dismayed by yesterday’s events at Santa Fe High School. We extend our most heartfelt prayers and condolences to all of the victims. We also wish to thank all the first responders from all over Texas that assisted in rendering aid and support.

“We are as shocked and confused as anyone else by these events that occurred. We are gratified by the public comments made by other Santa Fe High School students that show Dimitri as we know him: a smart, quiet, sweet boy. While we remain mostly in the dark about the specifics of yesterday’s tragedy, what we have learned from media reports seems incompatible with the boy we love.

“We share the public’s hunger for answers as to why this happened, and will await the outcome of the investigation before speaking about these events. We have been and will continue to co-operate with the authorities conducting the investigation, and ask for the public’s patience while it moves forward.

“We ask the public to please extend privacy, both to the victims and to our own family, as all of us try process these events, and begin the healing process.”

Students have since been allowed back inside the school to gather belongings abandoned when gunfire began.

The Santa Fe shooting was the deadliest school attack since 17 people died in Florida in February, energising a teen-led gun control movement.

It was the worst Texas shooting since an attack on a rural church late last year killed 26 people.