Police are on the hunt for three masked attackers after they boarded a school bus in Maryland and tried to shoot a boy multiple times, only to be foiled by a malfunctioning gun.
Just before 5pm on Monday, May 1, the bus stopped in Oxon Hill, dropping off students from Prince George's County Alternative Middle School. As the bus pulled up to let off a female student, three masked attackers charged on - one was armed with a gun.
The three people believed to be juveniles, began to attack a boy on the bus. One of the attackers tried to shoot the boy multiple times, reportedly aiming the gun at his head.
However, detectives believe the gun malfunctioned. Martin Diggs, head of the bus drivers' union told ABC7: "They pulled the trigger three times, but for some reason, by the grace of God, the gun didn't go off and bullets flew out of the gun."
Investigators found three live rounds on the floor of the bus. Mr Diggs continued: This was an attempted murder, plain and simple. Call it what it is."
After the gun misfired, the three juveniles then began to reportedly beat the boy up before fleeing the scene. The boy suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault.
Police have confirmed a bus driver and bus aide were on board at the time but weren't injured. It's unknown if any other students were still on the bus.
The attackers' motives are being investigated by police. As of Friday, May 5, there were no suspects in custody with a reward of up to $2,500 being offered in the case, Lieutenant Shaniece Singh, a police spokesperson said.
Images of the attack on the bus were released by police, which show three people dressed in black hoodies with their faces covered attacking the boy - who is seen covering his head with his hands. Mr Diggs has called for more security on buses in the aftermath of the incident.
He explained the driver and aide were left shaking, having been left to believe they could have been killed as well if the gun hadn't misfired. He said: "They're terrified.
"The one driver doesn't even want to come back to work. They are terrified. They don't even want to come out of the house."
Mr Diggs said fights and incidents involving weapons at schools have left drivers alarmed. "There was a small amount of people on this bus," he said. "What if there was a busload of kids?"
Prince George's County Public Schools spokeswoman Meghan Gebreselassie said in a statement the officials are "horrified by this incident and grateful that no lives were lost." She said keeping people and pupils safe in classrooms and on school grounds and buses is their "highest priority" and they will continue to work with law enforcement.
Associate Superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools Charoscar Coleman urged anyone with any information about the attack to report it to police. “We are outraged as a district. Horrified that this incident did occur,” Mr Coleman said.
Mr Coleman continued: “Our priority remains to provide a safe and orderly environment for our students. That is during school and also to and from school."
