El Paso, Texas – Julio Cordero, a retired FBI agent and father of four, was identified as the victim in a fatal police shooting that occurred at Franklin High School. The tragic incident took place early Thursday morning, before 6 a.m., when Cordero was reportedly seen breaking windows at the school.
The 56-year-old had been struggling with severe mental health issues since retiring from the FBI in 2019. According to his brother, Marco Cordero, Julio’s mental health deteriorated after a traumatic event in 2014, when a man took his own life by jumping in front of Julio’s car. This incident brought back painful memories of a fatal accident involving his sister in 1993.
Julio Cordero served with the FBI from 1996 until his retirement and was known for his role as the lead agent in Operation Poisoned Pawns, a significant investigation into public corruption in El Paso in 2007. This investigation resulted in numerous convictions, including several county officials.
On the morning of the shooting, an officer from the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) responded to the scene at Franklin High School, where Cordero’s son is a senior. The officer fatally shot Cordero during the encounter.
The El Paso Police Department and Texas Rangers have launched an investigation into the shooting, which is standard protocol for all fatal police incidents. Additionally, the EPISD is conducting its own administrative review of the events leading to the shooting.
The Cordero family is left mourning the loss of a father and brother who had served his country with distinction but was haunted by past traumas. The community, still processing the tragic events, awaits further details from the ongoing investigations.