The Jefferson City Police Department released this information today:
After the shooting that occurred yesterday members of the Jefferson City Police Department have been actively investigating the incident and have developed significant leads.
Information from a number of witnesses and other persons of interest has indicated that the school bus was not the intended target of the shooting, but rather was unfortunately caught in crossfire between two groups of individuals who knew one another. As stated yesterday, the school bus sustained four (4) gunshots, and detectives are processing the school bus to retrieve evidence. Again, no students on the bus sustained any injuries of note during the shooting.
Throughout the course of the afternoon and evening, investigators developed a number of leads as to possible suspects in the case. In addition, while examining evidence and statements provided to police, it is apparent there are still persons in the community who have direct knowledge of the incident and those persons are asked to contact police detectives as soon as possible.
To encourage the sharing of information with our agency, Jefferson City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a $500 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect(s) in this case. Persons willing to give information should call CrimeStoppers at 659-TIPS, which is an anonymous method of reporting criminal activity.
EARLIER COVERAGE
Gunfire struck a Jefferson City Public Schools bus with 21 students on board Wednesday afternoon, causing no injuries to students but one injury related to the shooting.
A person was life-flighted to University Hospital in Columbia. Police did not identify the person but said they received information of a gunshot wound victim at an area hospital, believed to be related to the incident. This victim was not on board the bus.
The shots hit the bus on Marshall Street near its intersection with East Elm Street. It continued to drive another six blocks before stopping in the Family Dollar parking lot.
At about 4 p.m., Jefferson City police and school officials were on the scene, and 21 East Elementary School students were being removed from the bus and transferred to another one.
One girl being taken off the bus was heard saying: "Take me home! Somebody shot at my bus."
Fifteen parents came to the scene to pick up their children while another bus drove the other six children home with two district administrators riding with them and Julia Martin, East Elementary principal.
Pearletha Gray, mother of a kindergartener on the bus, said police gathered parents to assure them the children were unharmed. Gray's 7-year-old daughter was sitting in the middle/back of the bus, near where a bullet struck and took out a window.
"She freaked out and was crying hysterically," she said.
Gray's daughter and other children on the bus told her gunshots came from a black car. What scared them the most, she said, was the car continued to follow the bus after shots were fired. The experience terrified her child, who doesn't want to ride the bus anymore. Gray said she understands her daughter's request, and she will be driving her to and from school for the remainder of the year.
Police put at least four evidence markers on the bus where bullets had struck, including on the shattered window.
Public schools Superintendent Larry Linthacum was one of the school officials on the scene.
"We're just grateful none of our students were hurt," he said. "We had administrators from East School, where the kids were from, ride with them so they could tell parents or guardians what happened. There will be counseling Thursday for students. The First Student personnel did everything possible to make sure the kids were safe."
First Student, the school bus company contracted by the district, has emergency procedures and drills that are regularly performed.
Linthacum said the bus driver handled the situation "perfectly," telling the students to duck down and driving them out of the scene as quickly as possible, ending up at the Family Dollar on Madison Street.
Jefferson City Police Capt. Doug Shoemaker said the driver "was able to quickly leave the scene and get to a safe area while providing our 911 center with vital information on their whereabouts and status."
Martin said as far as she could recall, none of the buses from East have ever been shot at, and she was "thankful" no one was hurt. As she rode on the bus with the last six students, she said they were clearly shaken, but doing better.
"I'm just sad," she said. "I'm sad that my kids are in harm's way. It makes me worried. Kids are resilient, but it'll be in their minds."
Anyone with information about the suspect or suspects in this case is urged to call police at 573-634-6400 or call CrimeStoppers at 573-659-TIPS.
Initial coverage, posted at 4:46 p.m. Wednesday:
Gunfire struck a Jefferson City Public Schools bus with students on the bus this afternoon, causing no injuries to students but one injury related to the shooting.
No one on the bus was injured, but one person was being life-flighted to University Hospital in Columbia for injuries related to the shooting.
The bus was shot in the 500 block of Marshall Street, near the intersection of East Elm Street. The bus continued to drive, stopping in the Family Dollar parking lot.
At about 4 p.m., Jefferson City police and officials with JCPS were on the scene, and students were being removed from the bus that had been shot, and were being transferred to another bus.
One girl being taken off the bus was heard saying: "Take me home! Somebody shot at my bus."
Some parents came to the scene to pick up their children.
Police put at least four evidence markers on the bus where bullet holes had struck, including on a window that had shattered.
Public schools Superintendent Larry Linthicum was one of the school officials on the scene.