School Threats Increase at Eagle Pass Independent School District Campuses
By: Victoria Martinez, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
On September 22, 2025, Armando Cerna Elementary Principal Juan P. Leija found a note containing a threat written by a student in the afternoon, but did not notify Eagle Pass Independent School District Superintendent Samuel Mijares until later that evening. After reviewing the note, Superintendent Mijares determined it was not an “imminent threat.” Believing the situation could be handled internally, Superintendent Mijares and the Eagle Pass ISD Police Chief Cristino Ynosencio decided not to notify Eagle Pass Police Chief Amy Gonzalez. “We weren’t in a situation where we needed help,” Mijares explained.
The following morning, Tuesday, September 23, the Eagle Pass ISD Police Chief Ynosencio assigned an investigator to assess the Armando Cerna Elementary written note threat situation. Although it was determined that there was no active shooter or threat from the note, Superintendent Mijares was later informed by Armando Cerna Elementary Principal Leija of a second written note found that included a “kill list, ” which this time was considered an imminent threat. At approximately 8:47 a.m., Eagle Pass ISD Police Chief Ynosencio received a call from the City of Eagle Pass Police dispatcher asking if there was an active shooter situation at Armando Cerna Elementary. The Eagle Pass ISD Police Chief Ynosencio responded that outside resources were not needed. “We have everything that we need to protect our students and staff,” he said.
Completely unaware of the Eagle Pass ISD Police Department investigation, Chief Amy Gonzalez reported she began receiving 911 calls from concerned parents of Armando Cerna Elementary at 8:59 a.m. on September 23, 2025 regarding threats at Armando Cerna Elementary. An Eagle Pass Police Department Sergeant was dispatched to the school, where Principal Leija confirmed there was not an active threat.
Eagle Pass Police Chief Gonzalez later emphasized the importance of partnership between agencies and the community: “We want to make sure we are here to help each other, so we can be better for the community.”
Just days later, additional threat incidents were reported at other elementary school campuses in the Eagle Pass ISD. On Monday, September 29, 2025, a threat was made at Juan N. Seguin Elementary after a student warned classmates of a potential shooting and told them not to attend class. The student was identified and disciplined.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, an eight-year-old student at Glass Elementary made a threat to a school mate while riding the school bus, claiming he planned to bring a gun the next day. The Eagle Pass ISD Police Department investigated the threat. After identifying the student, Eagle Pass ISD Police investigated the student and paid his home a visit. While law enforcement confirmed no weapons were found in the child’s home, the student’s parent said the comment had been made as a “joke.” The student was disciplined.
These recent school threat incidents serve as a reminder of how quickly threats can disrupt schools and unsettle the community. While the threats were ultimately not carried out, they highlight the need for strong communication, swift responses, and total community collaboration between school officials, law enforcement, and families. As Eagle Pass Police Chief Amy Gonzalez noted, working together is key to ensuring the safety of Eagle Pass students, staff, and residents.
In response to these school threats, the Eagle Pass ISD and the City of Eagle Pass and their respective police departments held a meeting at City Hall on Monday, September 29, 2025, to discuss and coordinate close collaboration procedures between all local school and law enforcement entities to keep the community and its students, citizens, and public safe from school threats.
