Shot Fired at School Bus

A school bus with six children and two adults aboard was accidentally shot at Monday morning in Valley Center by a 17-year-old boy.

San Diego Sheriff's Deputy Ken Simon determined the shot came from a nearby property while examining the evidence. The nearby homeowners cooperated with the investigation, leading Simon to discover that their 17-year-old son was target shooting on the property. One of the shots he fired ricocheted off of something in the target area and struck the bus, according to Simon.

The rifle and other ammunition was surrendered and placed into evidence. It appears that the act was not intentional, according to Simon. The investigation will be sent to the Office of the District Attorney for review.

The Sheriff’s Department reported that the single .22 bullet shattered the front door of the bus.

The round was recovered on the floor of the bus below the window. It was previously thought by California Highway Patrol that the bus was shot at with a BB gun.

The incident occurred just before 9 a.m. yesterday on 33509 Valley Center Rd. in front of Head Start Center, which is in the area of Boucher Heights Road, Rincon Indian Reservation.

No injuries were reported.

Neither the bus driver, 70-year-old Judy Arnett, nor the other adults on board heard the shot and did not see anyone near the bus when the bullet struck.

Arnett drove the bus to a nearby fire station to report the incident. The area where the shooting occurred is isolated, with only a few homes nearby.

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