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Tag: private bus services

  • A bus driver and passenger opened fire on each other on a moving Charlotte transit bus, leaving both injured | CNN

    A bus driver and passenger opened fire on each other on a moving Charlotte transit bus, leaving both injured | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    A bus driver and passenger opened fire on each other on a moving Charlotte transit bus earlier this month, leaving both injured, transit authorities said.

    The incident started when a bus passenger, who authorities identified as Omarri Shariff Tobias, got up while the bus was in motion and asked the driver to let him off between designated bus stops, according to a news release from Charlotte Area Transit System.

    The driver, David Fullard, told Tobias he would have to wait until the next approved stop. After about a two-minute exchange, Tobias pulled out a gun and pointed it at Fullard, the transit system said.

    At this time, Fullard also pulled out a firearm, the transit system said. Both men fired their guns “in rapid succession,” although it is unclear who shot first, company spokesperson Brandon Hunter told CNN by phone Saturday.

    Fullard was struck in the arm and Tobias was struck in the abdomen, according to the transit system.

    Dramatic video of the encounter shows Fullard stopping the bus and pushing open the shattered driver barrier, as he stands up with his gun still drawn. As Tobias crawled toward the back of the bus, where the two other passengers on board had moved, Fullard fired his gun again from the aisle of the bus.

    Tobias and another passenger exited the bus through the side door and Fullard exited through the front door, firing his gun again, the transit system said.

    Both Fullard and Tobias are in stable condition and expected to recover, and the other two passengers were unharmed, the transit system said in a statement released Wednesday.

    Tobias was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries, communicating threats, and carrying a concealed firearm, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a news release. It’s unclear whether charges will be brought against Fullard.

    Fullard was fired by his employer, RATP Dev, which employs the transit system’s bus operators, Hunter told CNN Saturday. CNN has reached out to RATP Dev for comment.

    Possession of a firearm or other weapons while on duty or on company property is prohibited by the company’s workplace policy and employees can be discharged after the first violation, according to the transit system.

    The Charlotte Area Transit System said Fullard did not follow proper protocol.

    “It would have been reasonable for the operator to attempt to de-escalate the situation by allowing the suspect/passenger to exit the bus before arriving at the next bus stop,” the transit system said.

    Fullard is still recovering from his injuries, his attorney told CNN Saturday, noting Fullard was “a dedicated employee and treasured his employment,” who worked as a driver for more than 19 years.

    “I have represented a substantial number of CATS drivers over the years. Some of whom who have been assaulted, shot at or shot during their work activity,” attorney Ken Harris told CNN in an email.

    “They consider themselves public servants. In light of their commitment, dedication and the workplace dangers that they encounter, we have continuously encouraged the CATS system to enhance security measures for drivers,” Harris said.

    Tobias is currently being held in lieu of $250,000 bond and is next due in court June 6. CNN has not been able to locate an attorney for him.

    Police say they are continuing to investigate the case.

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  • All flights grounded at airport near Penn State University over suspicious device, 100 passengers bused to campus | CNN

    All flights grounded at airport near Penn State University over suspicious device, 100 passengers bused to campus | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    All flights were grounded at University Park Airport in Pennsylvania Friday as authorities investigated a suspicious device in a checked bag, forcing about 100 passengers to be bused out of the area and the airport to close until Saturday, officials said.

    The airport in State College, located less than five miles from the Penn State University campus, was closed to air traffic and passengers while an explosives device team and local police examined the contents of the bag, which was checked on a flight en route to Chicago, Penn State University Police and Public Safety said in a statement.

    The “suspicious” contents were later determined to not be an explosive device, Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Marie Powers told CNN late Friday.

    The item had been detected by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at the airport, according to TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. Local police officers and FBI officials were also on site, she said.

    “The immediate area was evacuated and a perimeter established,” Farbstein said in a statement, adding bomb technicians would be looking at the bag and its contents.

    The Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop for the airport “due to security.” The airport will reopen early Saturday morning, police said.

    The airport closure took place as Penn State students were gearing up for their Spring Break travel plans next week. Buses from the university came to the airport to transport about 100 passengers to the campus, where they were offered shelter and given food, according to police.

    The University Park Airport calls itself “a home town airport with a world of destinations,” according to its Facebook page. It says four airlines – Allegiant, Delta, United, and American airlines – offer regularly scheduled flights to and from major hub cities including Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington/Dulles.

    Earlier in the day, the general passenger terminal at the airport was evacuated “out of an abundance of caution,” police said. There were no incoming or outgoing flights scheduled when the evacuation took place.

    The investigation at the airport comes just days after federal agents arrested a Pennsylvania man after he allegedly tried to bring explosives in his suitcase on a flight from Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown to Florida.

    Marc Muffley, 40, faces two charges, according to a federal complaint, including possession of an explosive in an airport and possessing or attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft.

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  • One person killed in rollover of bus chartered by Brandeis University, school says | CNN

    One person killed in rollover of bus chartered by Brandeis University, school says | CNN



    CNN
     — 

    A Brandeis University undergraduate student was killed Saturday night in bus rollover accident near the Brandeis campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, according to the school.

    Preliminary investigations suggest 27 students were on the shuttle when it crashed into a tree on South Street about 10:30 p.m., according to a statement from Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Waltham Chief of Police Kevin O’Connell. The cause of the crash is unknown.

    The shuttle was returning from a hockey game at Northeastern University, the statement said. One person was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver and remaining 26 students all sustained injuries and were transported to area hospitals, it said.

    In a letter, University President Ronald Liebowitz identified the deceased student as Vanessa Mark. Liebowitz said Mark was on a leave of absence from the university, but remained in the community. He said said classes would be canceled Monday and Tuesday after the accident.

    “I know that sadness over last night’s fatal shuttle accident is rippling through our community today,” Liebowitz said. “We are all experiencing the shock of such a terrible accident, and everyone’s recovery will take time.”

    In an email to students and community members Sunday morning, Brandeis said many of the injured have been released from hospital, while 11 were admitted for further treatment.

    “Due to privacy concerns, the names of those who were injured will not be released,” school officials noted.

    “If you are a student and you have not done so already, please reach out to your family and close friends as soon as possible to let them know that you are safe,” the email said.

    Waltham Fire Chief Andrew Mullin said early Sunday the accident is “completely under investigation,” and they had not determined a cause.

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