Armed U.S. Army trainee hijacks school bus full of children, S.C. sheriff says

[riversedge]

Source: nbc



Eighteen students from Forest Lake Elementary School and their driver were not harmed.

May 6, 2021, 9:59 AM CDT / Updated May 6, 2021, 10:45 AM CDT
By David K. Li

An armed U.S. Army trainee hijacked a busload of elementary school students in South Carolina on Thursday before letting the children off, abandoning the vehicle and surrendering, authorities said.

The trainee from Fort Jackson left the base with a rifle about 7 a.m. ET and tried flagging motorists on Interstate 77 before spotting a school bus stop, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said.



He "told the bus driver that he didn't want to hurt him, but he wanted him to drive him to the next town," according to the sheriff.

The suspect, who was wearing his Army physical training gear, brought all 18 children to the front of the bus, where they "started asking lots of questions to the suspect, if he was going to hurt them or the bus driver," Lott said.

That questioning "frustrated" the armed intruder before he let the children and driver off, drove himself a short distance, abandoned the bus, left the rifle on board and was captured without incident, according to the sheriff.

......................

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/armed-u-s-army-trainee-hijacks-school-bus-full-children-n1266514

---

Neither the kids nor the driver were harmed. But emotional harm had to be high.






.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says a Fort Jackson trainee has been arrested after hijacking a school bus with a gun in Fort Jackson, S,C., May 6, 2021.via WISTV

[Dream Girl]

1. Did the sheriffs treat him to lunch?

[jpak]

2. What kind of rifle was it?

[PBC_Democrat]

4. Most Likely an M16 ... But NO AMMO!

In week 3 the soldiers are introduced to the M16, they carry it around, they take it apart, clean it, and put it make together again.

They also learn the Manual of Arms (how to march with it, salute with it, go to Parade Rest with it) and just become comfortable with it.

For many soldiers it's the first time every touching any type of firearm.

This in NO WAY reduces the severity of the crime and this guy should be wearing prison gray for the rest of his life.

I wouldn't be surprised if the bus driver was former military and noticed that the weapon didn't have a magazine inserted and know the danger was lessened.

Either way the hijacker/kidnapper is a criminal and the bus driver is a hero.

[2naSalit]

3. Let me guess...

He's white, amiright?

[TomSlick]

5. Soon to former Army trainee.

Thus endeth another brilliant military career.

[COL Mustard]

13. Won't Take Long

He'll probably be a guest of South Carolina for a while, though.

[TomSlick]

17. The Army will be able to serve him with a discharge action at the jail.

If the decision is taken to court-martial him for AWOL/Desertion and theft of the weapon, that may have to wait until he is more nearly available. My bet is that the Army allows the State of South Carolina to deal with it and simply discharges him.

[TimeToGo]

6. How did he leave the base?

I'm very confused by that.

[Woodwizard]

7. We had 3 guys go AWOL in basic

They stuffed their beds to delay the discovery. The local cops picked them up, 3 guys in crew cuts in uniforms at 2 am was kind of a giveaway. They lock up your civilian clothes on enlistment. They got to do landscaping while we finished training and were sent home after we graduated.

I guess it is for the best for people like that to weed themselves out.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

8. But how did he leave base with a rifle?

I'm assuming it was an M-4 and if so, I find that very strange.
When I was in the Marines, every rifle, every bullet, every magazine had to be accounted for and secured before we could leave, so, this is very suspicious in my mind.

[DENVERPOPS]

10. THIS !!!!!!!

Thank you MCE.............

[Woodwizard]

11. I do not think it would be that difficult.

He could have ditched while in field training it might not be until formation that it would be noticed, fort Jackson from my memory is fairly easy to get out of. Over 30 years since I was there.

[bluedigger]

9. We had a guy go AWOL three times.

His mother turned him in the second time. The third time he was already being outprocessed as unfit for service so they got pissed and pressed charges.

[JohnnyRingo]

12. Leave the kids out of your armed fantasy.

Talk about an exercise in bad judgment.
Fortunately, that seemed to dawn on him at some point.

[ashredux]

14. He had no ammo....needs medical attention

[70sEraVet]

15. It sounds to me like he just cracked under the pressure

It was silly and dangerous for him to take the rifle. Fortunately nobody was hurt.
It might be worthwhile for the Army to investigate the circumstances; did the guy have warning signs before they signed him up, was he subjected to particularly harsh treatment at the hands of superiors, or of fellow trainees?
But I won't hold my breath --

[BobTheSubgenius]

16. It is a hell of an exit interview...

...but I'm very glad that's as close as he got to live ammunition and completion of basic..