School bus carrying students with special needs hit by gunfire in the Bronx
LONGWOOD, The Bronx (WABC) -- A school bus was hit by gunfire in the Bronx while carrying students with special needs on Friday afternoon.
The shooting happened near East 163rd Street and Trinity Avenue in the Longwood section just before 2:20 p.m.
Police say the mini school bus drove through gunfire, and pulled up to 1029 Hall Pl., about a half mile away from where the shooting took place.
Jose Polanco, a coworker of the bus driver, says the driver told him he kept driving because his first thought was to get the children somewhere safe.
"He was scared about those kids because all those kids in the shootout," Polanco said.
The bus was struck at least three times. One bullet struck the back window, and two struck the side of the bus.
A man told Eyewitness News that he spoke with the rattled school bus matron.
"The attendant says she was on the bus and two groups were shooting at each other, so she pushed two kids down on the floor and she got on top of the kids," the man said. "And she said bullets we're flying through the bus."
The bus was carrying about half a dozen students with special needs.
No one inside the bus was injured.
Police say four suspects, all wearing black, were shooting at each other and the bus got caught in the crossfire.
They say the shooting took place near a playground, with a school just down the block.
Teachers say the shooting sent the school into lockdown, sheltering nervous students and staff in place for about 30 minutes past dismissal.
The suspects fled on foot south on Trinity Avenue.
One of the suspects was wearing white stripes with black pants.
There's no word yet on what led up to the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing.
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