UPDATED: Richmond County School Bus Hit With Bullet While Returning From Gwinnett County

***1:40 p.m. Update October 12***

Public Safety has concluded their search of the bus and did not locate any projectiles or anything else pertinent to the case. They have released the bus back to the transportation department. Due to the fact that the bus is needed in service, the transportation department is currently replacing the glass.

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***12:10 p.m. Update October 12***

According to Louis Svehla, the Public Information Director for the Richmond County School system, here is the latest information on the Richmond County School bus shooting that happened Saturday night:

“While at the T.W. Josey Football game, Lieutenant Richard Roundtree (Richmond County Board of Education Department of Public Safety) received a call on his cell phone from Superintendent Dr. Dana Bedden in reference to a Richmond County school bus being damaged by gunfire while in Atlanta.

Dr. Bedden provided Lieutenant Roundtree with contact information and Lieutenant Roundtree advised that he would investigate the incident and call Dr. Bedden back with the information obtained.

Lieutenant Roundtree subsequently learned that three (3) buses from Richmond County had traveled to Mountain View High School in Gwinnett County for the All- State chorus tryouts. Two busses contained students from Davidson and one contained students from both Murphey Middle School and Cross Creek High School. At the conclusion of the event, the Davidson busses left first and the bus in question, Bus # 287, was the last to depart. Bus # 287 contained eighteen (18) students and five (5) adults. As the bus was leaving the high school it missed its turn and had to turn onto a residential street (Circle Rd.) to return to the interstate.

As the bus was traveling, students heard a popping noise and the back window of the bus shattered. One 13 year-old female student sustained a superficial laceration from the broken glass that did not require any stitches. Two students reported seeing two males running from the rear of the bus, with one carrying what appeared to be a gun.

The Gwinnett County Police Department, as well as EMS personnel responded to the scene. The child was treated and released at the scene. The parent of the injured student was notified at the scene. After the incident, all children were placed at front of the bus for the remainder of the trip.  Lieutenant Roundtree remained in contact with the occupants on the bus until they arrived in Augusta at approximately 9:30 pm.

Lieutenant Roundtree arrived at the Central Office and met with Chief Clayton and Louis Svehla regarding the above incident. Lieutenant Roundtree advised that he was going to later inspect the bus to determine how many projectiles struck the bus, and to attempt to recover any projectiles that may be found.  If any projectiles are recovered, they will be forwarded to the Gwinnett County Police department for further investigation.

The incident report is not yet available from the Gwinnett County Police Department and Lieutenant Roundtree continues to work with them as part of the investigation in reference to the above case.“

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Augusta, GA—According to Louis Svehla, the Public Information Director for the Richmond County School System, a bullet was fired into a bus that was returning from Gwinnett County with All County Chorus students from Cross Creek High School and Murphey Middle School.

There was one student injured from shattering glass and no other students were injured.

The parents of the student injured and all other students have been contacted. A Global Connect call has been sent to the parents and staff of the schools.

Richmond County Board of Education Department of Public Safety is currently working with authorities in the investigation of the incident.

We will have more information as it becomes available.