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A 15-year-old Port Arthur male was certified to stand trial as an adult in a fatal shooting case.

The certification regarding Khalil White was made Thursday in Judge Larry Thorne’s court.

White is charged in the Sept. 10 killing of Quarderious Jordan, 26, at Avery Trace Apartments.

The case will be presented to a Jefferson County grand jury at a later date, possibly in the new year after a grand jury is impaneled.

White, who will turn 16 in a few days, remains at the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Justice Center.

Assistant District Attorney John Nelson said one of the reasons the youth was certified as an adult was because someone was shot to death. Another factor is the child’s history, which, Nelson said, he could not discuss because it is protected due to his age.

The Sept. 10 killing took place on a Saturday morning at Avery Trace Apartments, 4160 FM 365 in Port Arthur. When police arrived they found Jordan dead from a gunshot.

White, accompanied by a guardian, turned himself in to police later.

Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso said there are currently no other suspects in the case, though investigators are looking at the involvement of other people who were around the area.

The assistant district attorney said the crime was very violent. Nelson also feels PAPD did a good job putting the case together.

“It involves a pretty big group of people,” Nelson said. “I don’t think it would be solved in the manner it was without PAPD getting all of the witnesses and all of the evidence. They did a real good job with what they had to deal with.”

Generally speaking, when a juvenile is being held for a crime, he or she is not assigned a bond, as in adult cases. There are, however, discretionary hearings and a judge makes a determination based on evidence whether to continue detention or release the child.

Discretionary hearings are held every 10 days.

Bond for White is set at $200,000, but that figure could change depending on a district court decision.

Nelson said he believes the youngest juvenile in Jefferson County to be certified as an adult was Corey Spencer, 14.

In 2019, Spencer pleaded guilty to the shooting death and robbery of Kera Teel, 19, of Beaumont. Teel was pregnant at the time of her death and her unborn child died, as well.