What should have been a routine ride home turned into a crime scene Thursday afternoon when a McNair Middle School student was hit by a pellet that came through a school bus window, according to the DeKalb County School District. The bus was pulling into a neighborhood after dismissal when an unknown person reportedly fired at the vehicle. DeKalb County police are investigating, and the district has not released how badly the student was hurt.
What officials said
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, district officials said one student was struck and officers responded to the scene. FOX 5 reported that the district provided the initial details to the media but has not shared any further information about the child’s condition.
How the scene unfolded
Atlanta News First corroborated the account, reporting that the bus had just come from McNair Middle School and pulled into a neighborhood when someone fired a pellet gun through a window. Investigators were on scene, and the outlet noted that the extent of the student’s injuries remained unknown.
Nearby incident adds tension
Safety concerns around the McNair campus were already running high. A day earlier, WSB-TV reported that a man who had been shot nearby ran onto school grounds to call 911, which prompted a brief lockdown. The two incidents occurred roughly 24 hours apart as detectives continued to investigate the bus shooting.
Local history with pellet shootings
The incident is not without precedent in DeKalb. In 2019, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a juvenile suspect was being sought after multiple elementary school students were hit by pellets at Wynbrooke Elementary. That case led to arrests and renewed calls for stronger safety measures in the district.
Legal and disciplinary implications
The DeKalb County School District’s code of conduct classifies pellet and BB guns as prohibited weapons and allows long-term suspension or expulsion for possessing or using them on school property, according to district policy (district code). Atlanta News First reported that DeKalb County police are leading the criminal investigation while the district coordinates with law enforcement…