Port Arthur ISD outlines safety measures following Thursday’s shooting of 2 students
Published 10:32 am Friday, February 11, 2022
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The Port Arthur Independent School District has released a statement following a Thursday afternoon shooting that left two teens injured.
Port Arthur police were called to the area of 1700 Jefferson Drive at approximately 4:13 p.m.
On scene, investigators found two teens with gunshot wounds in the parking lot of a shopping center across from Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
There injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
The PAISD said the two teens were Jefferson Middle School students.
The alleged shooter, 17-year-old Jose Cortez, was not enrolled in the district.
“Once we were made aware of the incident, we immediately began implanting our crisis intervention plan and are taking…safety precautions” Friday, the statement said.
Those precautions include:
- Adding additional security on and around the campus.
- Dismissing students at staggering times.
- Assembling school counselors and social workers for students in need.
- Faculty and staff will monitor students at all times, including lunches and in between classes.
Jose Cortez, 17, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. As of Friday morning, he was listed as an inmate in the Jefferson County Correctional Facility on two counts of the same charge. He is being held on bonds totaling $200,000.