JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A student was taken to the hospital after a knife attack on a Duval County school bus on Wednesday morning, according to officials. Another student is now in custody.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue responded around 9:15 a.m. to reports of a stabbing involving students on a school bus along Division Street.
Video from the scene shows Student Transportation of America Bus number 268 surrounded by crime scene tape for hours as officers gathered evidence. Footage also shows a young man in handcuffs being placed into a police car. His face was blurred because it was not clear whether he was connected to the incident.
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Kenneth Shields, a parent, said the incident is deeply troubling and believes more safety measures are needed on school buses.
“It’s heartbreaking that the children are still doing this violence. They got knives and stuff. The school could easily put metal detectors on the bus at the doorways or have wands.”
Shields is now calling for added security improvements to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Duval County Public Schools confirmed the incident in a statement to media partners:
“Good Morning Media Partners,
Unfortunately, we experienced a serious incident this morning on one of our school buses. According to initial reports, a student riding Bus 268 en route to Matthew Gilbert Middle School was injured by another student with a knife.
We are grateful that the injuries do not appear to be life-threatening. The alleged suspect is in the custody of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which is actively investigating. At this time, JSO would be the appropriate source for additional details or related records.”
The district also shared the following message sent to families:
“Hello, Matthew Gilbert families. This is Duval County Public Schools calling. First and foremost, all students and staff at Matthew Gilbert Middle School are safe. We have been made aware of a serious incident that occurred on Bus 268 involving a physical altercation between two students. During the incident, one student was injured with a knife. The injured student was transported for medical care, and the other student is now in the custody of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. The families of the students directly involved have been notified. In addition, school staff is contacting the families of all students who were on the bus so they are aware of what occurred.
This incident did not take place on campus, and there is no threat to the school. Law enforcement continues to investigate, and details remain limited at this time. If there are any updates that impact the broader school community, we will share them promptly.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to this message.”
The district said the bus was headed to Matthew Gilbert Middle School when the incident happened and emphasized that the stabbing did not occur on campus.
Action News Jax reached out to Duval County Public Schools and Student Transportation of America to ask whether metal detectors, wands, or other new security measures on buses are being considered, or if that is even possible. Neither responded to that question before publication.
Tasha King, a grandmother whose grandson rides the same bus, said the situation hits close to home.
“I’m ready to go to school to try to figure out if he’s OK and everything, you know, I’m saying all right,” said King.
King said her first thoughts were about the injured student and her own grandson’s safety.
“That’s really traumatizing, and that is sad. That is heavy on my heart right now because my grandson takes that same bus,” King added.
Family members said incidents like this shake their sense of security, especially when it happens on a school bus where children are expected to be safe on their way to class.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate.
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