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Armed Army basic trainee hijacks school bus full of kids
A Fort Jackson trainee is in custody after allegedly hijacking a school bus full of students on its way to Forest Lake Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, the Richland County sheriff said.
Lott said that around 7:00 am, a Fort Jackson trainee dressed in physical training clothes left the Army base armed with a rifle. According to Lott, the trainee was in his third week of training.
Lott said the RSCD received a call reporting an individual on Interstate 77 flagging people down and trying to get into cars. Lott said the trainee eventually ended up at a bus stop where children were loading onto the bus and he got on as well. Lott said around the same time, a sheriff's deputy was flagged down by a parent who said their child was on a bus with man who has a gun. Lott said multiple children called their parents on cell phones to report the incident.
"He got on bus and told bus driver he didn't want to hurt him but wanted him to take him to the next town," Lott said.
According to Lott, the suspect brought the kids to the front of bus, where they started asking questions about if he was going to hurt them or the driver. According to Lott, the suspect got frustrated and had the children and driver get off the bus.
According to Lott, the suspect drove the bus a few miles and was "having difficulties operating the bus" before abandoning it with the rifle inside. Lott said the suspect then wandered through neighborhoods trying to get "rice and clothes."
The suspect was eventually spotted near I-77 where he was arrested. Lott said the entire incident lasted about an hour.
I know that one of the purposes of basic Army training is to identify people who aren't mentally/emotionally compatible with military service, but you tend to hope that circumstance reveals itself in a less...f'd up way.
At least it seems like the guy wasn't really interested in the kids as such and really just wanted the transportation; but, still. Freaking scary.
Oh, also f'd up:
A Fort Jackson trainee is in custody after allegedly hijacking a school bus full of students on its way to Forest Lake Elementary School in Columbia, South Carolina, the Richland County sheriff said.
Lott said that around 7:00 am, a Fort Jackson trainee dressed in physical training clothes left the Army base armed with a rifle. According to Lott, the trainee was in his third week of training.
Lott said the RSCD received a call reporting an individual on Interstate 77 flagging people down and trying to get into cars. Lott said the trainee eventually ended up at a bus stop where children were loading onto the bus and he got on as well. Lott said around the same time, a sheriff's deputy was flagged down by a parent who said their child was on a bus with man who has a gun. Lott said multiple children called their parents on cell phones to report the incident.
"He got on bus and told bus driver he didn't want to hurt him but wanted him to take him to the next town," Lott said.
According to Lott, the suspect brought the kids to the front of bus, where they started asking questions about if he was going to hurt them or the driver. According to Lott, the suspect got frustrated and had the children and driver get off the bus.
According to Lott, the suspect drove the bus a few miles and was "having difficulties operating the bus" before abandoning it with the rifle inside. Lott said the suspect then wandered through neighborhoods trying to get "rice and clothes."
The suspect was eventually spotted near I-77 where he was arrested. Lott said the entire incident lasted about an hour.
I know that one of the purposes of basic Army training is to identify people who aren't mentally/emotionally compatible with military service, but you tend to hope that circumstance reveals itself in a less...f'd up way.
At least it seems like the guy wasn't really interested in the kids as such and really just wanted the transportation; but, still. Freaking scary.
Oh, also f'd up:
LOL really, school district? Their bus was hijacked and they were threatened with a rifle and then left stranded on the side of the highway but they were still made to go to school today anyway. Holy crap you can certainly address part of their emotional needs by giving them a day off to recuperate from having been freaking kidnapped by an armed maniac.School District 2 Superintendent Baron Davis said all of the children were offered counseling services when they arrived at school and the district remains focused on addressing their social and emotional needs.
















