There’s a feeling of unease in one Maryland community after three masked attackers boarded a school bus and attempted to shoot a 14-year-old boy in the head on Monday, local police say.
Authorities said one of the three assailants, all believed to be teenagers, aimed and fired a handgun “multiple times” at the unnamed 14-year-old, who was the only student still onboard the school bus in Oxon Hill, Md. at the time of the attack.
Detectives believe the gun “malfunctioned,” miraculously sparing the victim. The Prince George’s County Police Department recovered ammunition from the school bus.
The masked attackers allegedly beat the teen after the gun misfired. He sustained minor injuries, as per a police statement.
Two adults were present on the school bus at the time of the attack, along with the bus driver and a bus aide. They were not injured, though ABC News reported the driver is now “traumatized” and refuses to return to work. Both the driver and aide thought they were going to be killed.
Police released several images of the attackers captured by a surveillance camera inside the bus. The masked teens boarded the vehicle after it stopped to let students off.
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A motive for the attack is not yet known.
Martin Diggs, head of the bus drivers’ union in Prince George’s County, told said that the incident was “an attempted murder, plain and simple.”
The union is reportedly advocating for more security on the buses.
Charoscar Coleman, Associate Superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools told local news station WJLA the school district is “outraged” by the attack.
“Our priority remains providing a safe and orderly environment for our students. That is during school and also to and from school,” he said.
The Prince George’s County Police Department is offering a cash reward for information on the case. Police asked anyone with intel to call 301-749-5064.
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