Authorities in Chicago say a school bus was fired upon this morning while it was picking up children in a neighborhood located in the far south side of the city.
According to reports, the shooting took place around 7:48 am in the South Deering neighborhood of Chicago, about two miles away from the bus’ destination, Our Lady of Guadalupe School.
While no one was shot or injured during the incident, The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that there there were nearly 30 students on the bus at the time the bullet entered through a passenger side window of the bus, shattering glass, ripped through a seat, then exited through a window on the driver’s side.
“Gratefully none of the students were harmed, and this incident demonstrates why the school’s mission is so critical to its families,” Ryan Blackburn, from the Archdiocese Office of Catholic Schools, told the Sun-Times.
“Teaching our students to learn well and live as disciples of Jesus Christ is what we do, and any action that threatens our children’s safety can not be tolerated. The school’s administration is actively working with the Chicago Police Department and the Office of Catholic Schools on this matter.”
Police believe that the bus had not been targeted but had been accidentally caught in crossfire in a possible shootout in the area.
NBC reports that the bus driver was initially unaware that a bullet had struck his vehicle and continued along his route, taking those aboard to school.
ABC7 has more on the South Chicago school bus shooting in the video below:
