The armed security guard who shot a man in Southwest Portland on Thursday, May 8, was licensed and defending himself, according to a statement from his employer, The Gan Portland Jewish Preschool.

No students were injured in the incident, which happened in a parking lot between the preschool and the Fanno Creek Clinic in the 6600 block of Southwest Capital Highway.

“During this interaction, the individual presented a direct threat to the guard. In response, the guard was forced to take protective action, using his licensed weapon to defend himself. Portland Police responded promptly, and the suspect was transported to the hospital by ambulance,” preschool said in a statement.

The Portland Police Bureau has not identified the security guard, the man who was shot, or explained what led up to the shooting yet.

According to police, Portland officers responded to a report of the shooting at 11:50 a.m. When they arrived, the officers found an adult male injured in the parking lot. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital by ambulance. The security guard remained on the scene and is cooperating with the investigation.

As reported by KOIN 6 News, the director of the adjacent medical clinic ran out to the parking lot where he saw the man on the ground with a gunshot wound in his chest and treated him.

“There was like a bullet bulging out of the skin, but it hadn’t broken the skin in the back. So (I) basically just put pressure there. Unfortunately, I don’t think it was anything I did, but the bleeding stopped, and it just held it there until the EMT came,” Dr. Gregg Coodley said.

School officials said police do not believe the incident was the result of anti-Jewish bias. But they said the guard was armed because of the increase in hate crimes involving Jews.

Here is the preschool’s full statement:

“For the past several years, Jewish schools have accepted the responsibility of protecting their students and spaces, and it is considered standard practice to have security guards. Jews are only 2% of the US population, yet are subject to approximately 65% of religious bias crime, and the need to protect our most vulnerable populations is paramount.

“During his shift on May 8th, the guard employed by The Gan was threatened and assaulted by an individual in an area immediately adjacent to the school. During the interaction, the individual presented a direct threat to the guard. In response, the guard was forced to take protective action, using his licensed weapon to defend himself. Portland Police responded promptly, and the suspect was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

“All children and staff remained safely secured inside the building throughout the incident. The staff is regularly trained by Jessica Anderson, the community security director at the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland. Drills and training are conducted throughout the year, following best practices established by Secure Community Network, a national non-profit dedicated to the safety and security of the Jewish population. The Gan’s staff all followed protocols and responded safely and quickly.

“The Gan is so thankful that their guard is safe, and they are grateful for his dedication to the community. Every day, his job is to stand and protect, knowing he might have to take action. At this time, Portland Police do not believe the Gan was being targeted or that the disturbance was related to Jewish bias.

“We pray for the day when the world will realize the vision of the prophets: ‘National shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.’”