Syracuse police are close to making an arrest in connection to Wednesday’s shooting on the city’s north side where a bullet struck a school bus. Four children were on board, plus the driver and an attendant. No one was injured. Police Chief Joe Cecile says the bus was not targeted.
“In fact, the individual that was firing not only hit the bus, also hit the intended target and hit another personal vehicle while he was shooting, but the bus was in no way at an intended target,” Cecile said.
Still, it’s little comfort to the children, their parents, and residents shocked by the shooting in broad daylight. Sergeant Tom Blake knows it’s very traumatic.
“This isn’t something that happens all the time, thankfully," Blake said. "As a father of six, when you arrive on scene and you see a bullet in the school bus, you automatically think about your own family.”
The bullet struck the bus’s radiator. Mayor Ben Walsh says he’s relieved no one was injured.
“It is a stark reminder of how the gun violence that impacts the city impacts people, directly and indirectly, every day," Walsh said. "In this case, we had a bus that just happened to be passing through and was at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Police collected video evidence from multiple cameras, including those mounted on the bus, utility poles, and private residences. They also received tips on the scene from neighbors that helped to quickly identify a suspect.
