By Olivia Ramsey
There were tense moments on an Omnitrans bus in San Bernardino on Friday, January 27, when a shot was fired prompting an intense police response. The bus contained adults and children, and the incident led to one man being injured and another being arrested.
San Bernardino Police responded to streets Base Line and E around 6 p.m. upon receiving the report of a man with a gun aboard an Omnitrans bus. Officers quickly arrived and cleared the bus.
According to witnesses on the Omnitrans, the two men were seated near the middle of the bus and were arguing over exchanged looks that later led to a violent outcome and one arrest. Sources say that the man with the gun, who has not been identified, flashed his gun repeatedly at the man during the argument.
There were reportedly 12 passengers total on the bus, including some children.
When a witness to the argument alerted the San Bernardino county police of the incident, they arrived quickly at the scene. They acted quickly to evacuate the bus filled with the remaining ten passengers while detaining the two men involved in the incident.
According to witnesses, both men were detained due to the shattered Omnitrans bus window indicating foul play.
Police records indicate that there was no active shooter, but the mishandling of the firearm led to one man being injured, and property damage to the Omnitrans bus.
The property damage resulted in shattered and fragmented glass from the bullet hitting the window where the firearm had gone off.
According to the police report, the man responsible for the mishandling of the firearm is still in custody.
The injured man was released just hours after the incident had occurred. He received medical care as the bullet had grazed him and resulted in non-life-threatening injuries.
The remaining passengers on the bus were interviewed with no identity. Those that were interviewed shared collective details of being completely rattled and uncomfortable during the occurrence.
One woman traveling home from work with her two small children states, “I try to come home and the last thing I want to encounter is violence, especially with my children here besides me… it is unnecessary and not to mention traumatic for my children to have to witness nonsense like what happened on that bus.”
The driver of the Omnitrans bus stated, “I’ve been driving for about 7 years, and I see arguing and exchanges all the time, I am not as rattled as I used to be although I am happy I was able to get the remaining passengers home safely to their destination.”
There is no more information on the identity of the men aboard the bus or any follow-up from the San Bernardino Police Department. Since there were no fatalities on the scene, it is likely the case has closed and the man will remain unnamed.
The Omnitrans schedule will continue regularly as scheduled on their website with no disturbances from the incident.
The ten remaining passengers were unharmed, and the injured man that partook in the incident has been released from custody and is said to be facing no life-threatening injuries from the incident. The witnesses were grateful and relieved for the police officer’s attentiveness when they received this call.
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