School bus hit by gunfire with kids on board, police looking for suspects

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Police are looking for the suspects involved in a shooting that led to a school bus getting hit by a bullet.

It happened in the Hogans Creek area on Dr. Roy Baker Street and left a bullet hole in the driver’s window with at least 30 kids on board at the time. Police said nobody was physically hurt.

READ: School bus hit by gunfire, no one on board injured, bus not targeted, Jacksonville police say

Action News Jax spoke off-camera with a child who was on the bus at the time and her grandmother, the child said she was scared and crying.

Action News Jax has learned the bus belonged to Young Kids in Motion Academy, it’s a K-12 private school. The owner said everybody on the bus was from 15 to 16 years old, saying some kids were hyperventilating when it happened.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said the bus was caught in the crossfire of either two people or two groups shooting at each other when it was turning into the University Plaza apartment complex.

“I heard the gunshots and I saw the bus that got shot, right by the lady’s head, it was very scary,” witness Shantrell Doby said.

Doby was visiting her friend when the gunfire went off.

“It was like a war, like, one shot went back and forth at each other, there was a lot going on,” she said.

Thankfully, JSO said none of the kids or the driver were physically hurt, Doby said her friend’s daughter was on the bus.

“The driver told them to put their head down, duck down,” she said. “Luckily her daughter was safe and sound.”

Police said the driver made sure all the kids were safe and then called police. JFRD also helped check out all the kids and they were reunited with family members.

Doby said her friend was shaken up.

“She was terrified, she was almost shot she went back inside when this went down, she would’ve got hit,” she said.

The suspects in the shooting are still on the run but police said they don’t believe there’s a threat to the community, officials said it’s an isolated incident.

Doby said she saw one of the suspects run right by her with a gun.

“I was scared, I wasn’t sure if he was going to start shooting again or what was going on, it really terrified me,” she said.

The owner of the school said they’re going to close the school for a few days to give everyone a mental break, adding they’re looking to bring in counselors for when everyone comes back.

The owner of the school said she’s tired of the senseless violence, saying it’s not fair the young children have to endure the madness.

JSO said much like other shootings, this frustrated all officers, saying Sheriff T.K. Waters made it clear violent crime won’t be tolerated, and the agency will put as many resources as they can to make sure those responsible are held accountable.

JSO is asking anyone with information regarding the shooting to give them a call.

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