Bullet or pellet hits school bus inches from driver; kids OK
NEAR ST. PAUL, Ore. - Marion County Sheriff's Deputies are looking into who may have fired a shot that hit a school bus Wednesday in Marion County.
The object left a spider-web crack in the bus' driver-side windshield but did not go through the glass. It hit about ten inches above the driver's head.
The bus was on the St. Paul Highway at about 1 p.m. when the driver heard the impact, deputies said.
There were two elementary school students on the bus at the time. No injuries were reported and investigators said the driver was able to complete the route "with no further issues."
Senior Deputy David Wagner investigated the area where the incident occurred and said the driver didn't see anyone nearby at the time. The area where the object hit the bus is "very open and flat," according to deputies.
It's likely the projectile was a small-caliber bullet or a round from a pellet gun and it may have been fired from a long distance away and unintentionally struck the bus, deputies said.
Anyone with information can call the Marion County Sheriff's Office at 503-588-5032, or email Deputy Wagner at Dwagner@co.marion.or.us.
This wont stop till we start arming elementary school students.
Come on, get real!
@jpk The Cow's suggestion is at least as realistic as arming all the principals or putting armed guards in every school.
@Mechanic arming people who watch over children is a bad idea. Okay cool, don't whine at the next school shooting.
Strange that the driver didn't see the spider web crack, but only heard the impact? Seems like the Marion County investigators already are aiming (no pun intended) as this being an accidental shooting since they related the countryside is level, flat, and rural. Perhaps someone was out hunting gophers or other critters and this incident was purely an accident? It can happen, but it sounds a bit far-fetched. Bullets do travel a long way, and shooters definitely need to be aware of whatever is downrange! If a target shooter, there should have been a berm behind whatever target was being shot at. Â
I recall an incident I responded to where the homeowner reported a shot fired had hit his occupied residence in a rural setting. The projectile had gone through the side of the house, an opposing wall, and another wall coming to rest on a staircase. Connecting the holes resulted in a downward trajectory indicating the shot had come from quite a distance away, and that it was not a drive-by shooting. As the home was in line with hills, apparently someone on the other side of the hills was not very cautious about where he was aiming at. The bullet proved to be 50 caliber, and the shooter was never located. Luckily no one was struck.
Couldnt they have just tasered the bus?
 @Bill Preston I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but that's funny!!!
 @Bill Preston What? LOL
I think anyone with half a brain would understand that there is a BIG difference between a bullet and a pellet.
@Travis Beehler On impact, the difference between a pellet and a .22 short would be.... Well, what?
@Mechanic I'm assuming the object that fired it.... But who knows.
 @Travis Beehler It must have been a bullet from an assault style weapon with a high capacity magazine.
 @Allan @Travis Beehler Clearly if it was an assault weapon that bus would have immediately exploded into a bazillion pieces.
Like I said. The new nitrogen air guns are superior to Co 2
There is so little info here...everybody is so super-vigilant with schools and school buses right now, I sure wish there was more info...
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@Dr. Rawdog how many guns do you know that aren't capable of punching through a window? Yeah didn't think so, say hello to mr. Scary pellet gun.......
@Jeepers Well, I know a few guns, but I haven't actually spoken to many lately.
@Mechanic name some then. My .22 short can go through glass. What else do you got?
Maybe it was a rock that came up from a passing vehicle.
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I remember when there was a "sniper" on Hwy 26 that was shooting at cars. It turned out that it was gravel put down after a snow and coming from other cars.
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But since everyone is on this gun bandwagon and it makes for good news stories let's go with that.
 @RalphCramden "the driver didn't see anyone nearby at the time."
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Speaking of agendas....
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@Dr. Rawdog @RalphCramden Holly crap that's funny. I only had to read the first line to know that was some horribly written garbage. A sniper with a shotgun? That's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one.
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 @gunnutz  Maybe you should become a reporter since you have information that is missing from the story. Or maybe you should call the sheriff's office.
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 @gunnutz  @Jeepers Lets see, my smallest caliber gun is my .17hmr. that little bullet is traveling at around 3000 feet per second. Even out something like 3 miles its still in the 2300+ range. That little guy is going through that window at any distance sorry. Nutz, you can waste just as much time fighting this as I can. Being that we both have the same lack of information, though I did just realize the bus driver said nothing about hearing a gun shot sound.......
@gunnutz show me which one of my guns can't punch through a window. Then you can continue that llittle victory dance in your head like you do every time you post a comment.
Boy, it's not like you to jump to any conclusions with out knowing ANY of the information.........
sarcasm off..............
Dear God, I'm praying that with all the horrific tragedies happening all over that there enough grief counselors to coddle and scare the living daylights out of the children who would have forgot about any of the crisis'  in about 45 minutes unless constantly coddled by self serving professionals. Â
Sometimes rocks can be thrown up from the roadway and may crack your windshield.. Â sometimes it the most logical answer..
 @A74R1  Don't be silly. Logic is a poor substitute for fear when there is an agenda to be pushed.
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@gunnutz Ehhh you have the title on that one.
 @A74R1 That's only if you're following someone.
 @deejm2112  @A74R1 Nope, you can get hit with rocks from traffic going the other way and even some idiot running a lawn mower along the road edge hitting gopher & mole mounds.  I lost a window and had damage to the edge of the car because of that lawn mower idiot. And there was rocks in both lanes from him doing that....   Its a dang wonder he didn't cause a accident! I was also a passenger with a friend who got hit from a rock tossed up by a semi going the other way. It cracked her wind sheild. So it doesn't only happen following someone.
@Khre'Riov There was rocks? A accident? "Wind shield?" Which road edge was hitting gopher mounds?