NBCMon, 03 Feb 2020 00:00 UTC
© foxla.comLocation of deadly bus shooting
One person was killed, and five were injured early Monday morning after a man opened fire on a Greyhound bus traveling on Interstate 5 near the Grapevine and headed to the Bay Area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The suspect has been taken into custody, the CHP said.
The bus was traveling on northbound I-5, near Fort Tejon in Kern County at about 1:25 a.m. when a man opened fire, hitting six passengers, the CHP said. There were 40 people on the bus.
The suspect got off the bus after the shooting, leaving the weapon on the bus, the CHP said. The bus then proceeded to the Grapevine Road exit and pulled into a gas station.
Officers arrived at the original scene of the shooting and found the gunman on the shoulder of the freeway, where he was taken into custody, the CHP said.
One person died at the scene, and the five wounded victims suffered moderate to major injuries and were taken to local hospitals, the CHP said.
Greyhound released a statement later Monday:
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and every family member impacted by the incident today. We are gathering details and will assist the Kern County police in every way possible during their investigation. What we do know at this time is that the incident involved schedule 6848-1, traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco."
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Fox 11 Los Angeles, 3/2/2020: Gunman opens fire on Greyhound bus
Authorities say "numerous" people on the bus called 911 to report an active shooter situation. One victim was transported to a hospital by an air ambulance and four victims were transported to local hospitals by ground ambulance. Two of the victims are currently listed in serious condition, officials said.
One of the six victims suffered fatal injuries, CHP Officer Brian Pennings said in a press conference. The victim was identified by her passport as a tourist from Columbia. She was 51-years-old. Her name was not immediately released.
Culmination of current information and questions by the press:
UPDATE 3/2/2020: NBC News: Eyewitness account of the bus shootings
Police began getting calls from passengers on the bus, traveling on Interstate 5, at about 1:30 a.m. local time. 43 persons were onboard.
Mark Grabban, 29, who was on the bus with his girlfriend said he noticed the suspect right away. "He was, massive, so tall, I remember before this happened, I noticed he had really big shoes on," Grabban said, adding that the suspect was talking loudly and "incoherently" when he got on the bus and got into an argument with someone who asked him to quiet down. "He was muttering things, about 'wait till we get to the station,'" Grabban said.
Suddenly, Grabban said he heard "'f--- you, f--- all of you.' And I heard a gun cock, and eight to nine rounds let off."
"I dove to the floor right to under the seat, I got to my girlfriend, tried to put her head down. I was just waiting for the next shot, I was assuming I was going to get shot," said Grabban. "There was a mother with two small girls, who were either four or three, frozen with fear, and I was shaking, telling them to stay down."
He said the shooter aimed toward the back of the bus, where Grabban was sitting. "The casing ended up on my lap," he said.
After the driver let the shooter off the bus, Grabban said he didn't immediately drive away. "He thought that the gunshots were something wrong with the engine. Everyone was screaming at the driver to drive away." He eventually did and pulled off the highway and into a Valero gas station.
"I saw the blood on the floor of the aisle. I looked to the woman on the left, and she wasn't responding, wasn't moving or anything. She was lifeless," Grabban said. "It was horrifying to see. I hadn't seen anything like it."
The body of the person who was killed — identified by her passport as a 51-year-old woman from Colombia — was still on the bus as authorities processed the scene Monday morning.
The uninjured passengers also remained at the scene to be interviewed, Pennings said, adding the incident was unusual. "I've been on 25 years; I've never seen this happen," he said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Kern County Sheriff's Office were assisting the California Highway Patrol with the investigation.
Of the five wounded victims, one was airlifted to the hospital. Two were in serious condition, Pennings said.
Grabban questioned why the bus line does not use metal detectors to screen passengers for weapons. "I feel like the Greyhound cared more about people not smoking or talking loudly on the bus," Grabban said. "It seems ridiculous to me."
RC