JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools has confirmed that two female students were shot in a school bus at 118th Street and Ortega Farms Boulevard on Thursday afternoon.
After the shooting happened around 4:30 p.m., the bus driver drove to 118th Street and Blanding Boulevard to call 911, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The shots came from outside of the bus from two males, believed to be teenagers, and one was not wearing a shirt, JSO said. It is not known how many guns were used in the shooting.
It is unknown if the shooting is related to gang activity or how many shots were fired.
Later Thursday, police were questioning two juvenile persons of interest off of Artudo Lane.
Students on the Birnie Bus Service Inc. bus come from three different schools: James Weldon Johnson Academic and Career Training Center, Mattie V. Rutherford Alternative Education Center and Grand Park Career Center.
Birnie Bus Service Vice President of Operations Eric Taylor released the following statement:
"Birnie Bus Service Inc. is very grateful that there were no life threatening injuries to the students. Our thoughts are with the two injured students. Birnie Bus Service will continue to cooperate with Duval Public Schools and JSO. The safety of our students is always our first priority."
https://twitter.com/DuvalSchools/status/598963666529181697
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DCPS Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti said about 30 students were on the bus at the time of the shooting. The students from JWJACT and Mattie V. are middle school level and Grand Park students are high school level.
Vitti said the bus driver kept the shooting from being much worse.
"The bus driver, when pulling up to the bus stop, felt that something was wrong and continued to drive," Vitti said.
The driver saw two suspicious people at that bus stop by Ringhaver Park and kept going. Vitti described his reaction to seeing the bullet-riddled bus.
"There was deep anger that permeated my whole being, a level of frustration, being horrified," Vitti said.
Extra officers will be in the schools Friday and police will escort the bus as well, Vitti said.
JSO was searching for the shooters at nearby Ringhaver Park. DCPS is reviewing surveillance video from the school bus to try and identify the shooting suspects.
The two females shot are at UF Health Jacksonville in fair condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Family members have identified one of those females as 15-year-old Shakayla Singleton.
Her father, Forest Singleton, said she was shot in the face, but is OK and is going into surgery. Shakayla called her parents immediately after the shooting to say she had been shot.
The family of the other girl told Singleton that their child was shot in the back of the head, doctors pulled the bullet out and she is stable.
Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown released the following statement on the shooting:
"As a father, today's violence directed at our children horrifies me. We cannot tolerate this kind of cowardice. This tragedy should strengthen our community's commitment to prevent violence and enforce the law. As mayor, I will continue to take whatever steps are necessary to carry out that mission."
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