Shooting on City Bus Injures Two Elementary-School Students, One Adult
- By Matt Jones
- January 12, 2023
A gunman’s assault on a Washington, D.C., city bus on Wednesday left three people injured, including two elementary-school-aged children travelling home from school, according to national news. Chief of Police Robert Contee said at a news conference that the suspected shooter’s target was another rider. A 9-year-old and 6-year-old were shot once, and an adult man twice, according to the New York Post.
“An idiot with a gun shot it indiscriminately and shot two children,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “Know what you’re doing when you’re six years old? You’re coloring in coloring books; you’re playing dress-up with your siblings; you’re going to birthday parties. It’s what you do when you’re six years old. You shouldn’t be fighting for your life or recovering from a gunshot because of an idiot with a gun who doesn’t care about his own life. Who doesn’t care about theirs.”
According to Contee, seven people flooded into a full Metro bus while it was stopped and began to assault a passenger. The altercation moved to the sidewalk, where one of the instigators withdrew a gun and began to shoot. Contee said that both children were being supervised by adults and were shot immediately after exiting the bus. Police said that the group of assaulters left the scene and that the intended target left also, but was discovered close to the site of the incident.
The three shooting victims were left with non-life-threatening injuries and taken to area hospitals for treatment.
Police are still searching for the shooter, who they have described as “a Hispanic male in his 20s wearing dark pants and a dark jacket,” according to national news.