NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Miami-Dade Police officers are investigating the possibility that a school bus was shot by a pellet gun.
At around 3 p.m. Thursday, officers arrived to a school bus that had a broken window in the area of Northwest 19th Avenue and 72nd Street.
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office is also in the area investigating.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue also arrived on the scene.
Officials said they have yet to confirm if the damage was caused by a pellet gun.
One student was worried that glass potentially struck a part of his face. However, the student was checked out on the scene and turned out to be OK.
Police said there were no other injuries.
The school bus was transporting students with special needs, including one student in a wheelchair, from Miami Central High School.
“Experiencing different types of disabilities, and to have this happening is really, very, very heartbreaking. Thankfully, a real catastrophe was averted,” said Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “The bus driver was able to stop the bus. There was a bus driver as well as a bus aide and eight students.”
Carvalho responded to the alleged attack on Twitter stating, “I am deeply disturbed by this cowardly and irresponsible attack, which could have had catastrophic consequences. We at Miami-Dade County Public Schools will work with authorities to fully investigate this despicable act.”
Seven kids remain on this parked bus after reports of a possible pellet gun fired, which caused fire rescue to come to NW 72nd St and 19th Ave. Nobody was transported and a police scene around the bus is active, as kids from Central High School wait. @wsvn #7News pic.twitter.com/KK0VnA6tie
— Sheldon Fox-7 News (@fox_sheldon) January 10, 2019
Carvalho eventually showed up at the scene and spoke to 7News.
“I’m here out of concern for what I believe is an irresponsible, despicable act, and it shall be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” he said.
The news of the incident shook parents like Tangie Sands, who received a text message from her son on the bus.
“He just told me that ‘mama, we just know that the bus got shot up, but don’t panic, I’m OK,'” said Sands. “In this area you go to sleep with gun violence, you wake up to gun violence. The more you say put the guns down, the more they pick them up, so what do you do?”
Parents arrived to pick their children up but were told the students must remain on the bus for the time being.
Some parents ended up leaving because they could not provide ID.
Police officials are now investigating what they believe are promising leads.
Meanwhile, the bus eventually left the area to drop the students off at their destinations.
If you have any information on this incident, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.