A 12-year-old boy found a gun in an unattended bag on a Chicago school bus and fired it, with no injuries reported, and a bus aide is facing charges over the incident.
Three special-needs students were in the bus parked at Minnie Minoso Academy, a pre-kindergarten through 8th grade school on Chicago’s South Side, dismissal Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
One of the students, a 12-year-old boy, found the bag and the gun inside and fired it, breaking a bus window, according to the Sun-Times.
Steven Dixon, 22, the purported gun owner and a Chicago Public Schools bus aide, is accused of leaving the bag and firearm unattended. He faces felony charges of reckless conduct and carrying a gun in a public place near a school, and three misdemeanor counts of child endangerment, Chicago Police Department sources told the Chicago Tribune.
Mr. Dixon is also accused of fleeing with the gun and bag after being questioned by the bus driver, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
In a letter to families, Minnie Minoso Academy Principal Carrie Ann Cole said that Chicago Public Schools is working with police “to investigate this situation further. While I cannot provide further details for privacy reasons, I want to assure you that the gun did not enter school grounds and everyone is safe,” according to WFLD-TV.
In a statement Tuesday, Chicago Public Schools said that it “takes allegations of employee misconduct seriously … CPS cannot disclose confidential personnel information but can confirm that the incident will be reviewed for potential misconduct,” according to WGN-TV.
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