FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The man accused of sending 21 bullets flying on a Broward County transit bus in Fort Lauderdale, leaving two people dead, was a no-show in court this weekend.
Jamal Meyers was supposed to face a judge in bond court, Saturday morning, but did not appear.
“He refused, OK,” said the presiding judge.
Fort Lauderdale Police said Meyers, 34, unloaded multiple rounds on four people sitting in the back of the bus while the vehicle was in motion, heading westbound along the 1100 block of Broward Boulevard, Thursday afternoon.
“He fired 12 rounds at the victims, and reloaded the gun and fired an additional nine rounds at the victims, shooting the final round at 3:24 p.m.,” said the judge as he read a court document.
As shots were fired, police said, the bus driver made a dangerous decision when she crossed the median and drove into oncoming eastbound traffic as she headed to the parking lot of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.
Before the bus driver was able to pull in, investigators said, the bus struck an SUV and a taxi cab.
The bus driver was later identified by her union as Gwendolyn Whitfield.
7Skyforce hovered above the parking lot of the police station moments later as Meyers surrendered and officers took him away.
One of the shooting victims was pronounced dead at the scene.
Paramedics transported the three others to Broward Health Medical Center, where a second victim succumbed to his injuries.
Police identified the deceased victims as Danny Colon and Gregory Campbell.
Cheryl Cummings and Will Lawson, longtime friends of Campbell, spoke to 7News about the victim.
“He was a good person to be around,” said Cummings.
“On his way home from work, and this happened, just getting off from work,” said Lawson.
At least three people in the SUV and taxi involved in the crash suffered injuries and were treated at the scene.
The sister of the man who was riding in the taxi cab said she took him to an area hospital with a knee fracture.
Meyers, who has a long history with police that dates back 15 years, will now add this most recent situation to his stack of mugshots.
He is currently being held at the Broward County Jail. He faces two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and a charge of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
“The court, upon finding probable cause, orders that the defendant be held without bond,” said the judge at his bond hearing.
As of Saturday afternoon, one of the surviving victims remains in the intensive care unit in critical condition, and the other is listed in fair condition.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.