UPDATED: Woman Killed, 5 Injured In San Francisco-Bound Greyhound Bus Shooting On I-5
LEBEC, Kern County (CBS SF) -- A 51-year-old woman from Colombia was killed and five others were injured in a shooting on a Greyhound bus traveling from Southern California to the San Francisco Bay Area early Monday morning.
CBS affiliate KBAK-TV reported emergency crews were quickly dispatched to the scene around 1:27 a.m. to a Valero Station in the 8000 block of Grapevine Road East in Lebec, in Kern County north of the Grapevine.
California Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Pennings said after opening fire on the 43 passengers including the driver on the bus, the alleged gunman was pushed off the bus without his weapon and left on the side of the highway.
"The 911 cell phone caller told dispatchers that there was a man with a gun on the bus and (he had) shot the weapon and had injured several of the passengers," Pennings said.
Once the shots rang out, Pennings said, the driver of the bus pulled over to the side of the highway.
"Ultimately they were able to get the suspect off the bus without the weapon," Pennings said. The weapon was a 9mm semiautomatic pistol, and Pennings said the unidentified gunman also carried "several" additional magazines.
The suspect was left on the shoulder of northbound Interstate 5 with the bus fleeing the scene to safety. CHP officers captured the suspect without further incident.
"His (the bus driver) actions were very appropriate and one could say heroic," Pennings said.
Pennings said the deceased passenger was a 51-year-old woman carrying a Colombian passport. She was declared dead at the scene. He did release her name or what her connection was to the Bay Area.
The five other victims were taken to a local hospital for treatment; four were transported by ground ambulances while the fifth was airlifted. Pennings said two were in critical condition.
It is not known yet where a video camera on board the bus may have captured the shooting. "Greyhound is currently working with us to see if that video camera was operating and possibly captured this incident," said Pennings.
The other passengers on the bus, including two children ages 6 and 8, were fed at a nearby Denny's restaurant during the long overnight investigation. "[Denny's management] shut down their restaurant to accomodate the needs of these individuals that were involved with this situation, and have gone over and above in their efforts to make sure they were warm, they were taken care of, that they were comfortable and they were fed," said Pennings.
Azurin Dunois, who was a passenger on the bus, emailed KPIX 5 with the shooting's stunning details.
Most of the passengers were asleep on the overnight bus that had departed Los Angeles for San Francisco and Oakland at around 11:45 p.m.
The gunman "opened gun fire on several passengers several miles south of the Grapevine ... waking and startling me and every other passenger up and then prompting us further in the back to take cover."
"As the lights were off due to the nature of it being a red-eye overnight ride and with me being about half the bus' length away from where the incident had occurred, I was unable to identify the suspect outside of him being male due to him shouting in a distinctively male voice."
"He appeared to be brandishing a semiautomatic pistol as his figure appeared to be carrying the weapon with one hand, and there was a brief break between each shot."
Greyhound issued an official statement saying the company was praying for the victims.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone and every family member impacted by the incident today," the statement read. "We are gathering details and will assist the Kern County police in every way possible during their investigation. What we do know at this time is that the incident involved schedule 6848-1, traveling from Los Angeles to San Francisco."
Pennings said investigating officers have not yet charged the gunman nor determined a motive for the shooting.
