RICHLAND COUNTY, SC (WSPA) – The Richland County Sheriff’s Department said a Fort Jackson Army intern left the base Thursday morning and hijacked a school bus.

Sheriff Leon Lott said the intern was wearing physical training clothing when he left the base around 7 a.m. with a rifle.

Lott said someone called the sheriff’s office about a man trying to report cars on Interstate 77. Shortly after, an MP was pulled over on Percival Road by a relative of a students on the school bus. The parent told the MP their child was on the bus and there was a man with a gun on the bus, Lott said.

Lott said after the intern was not picked up on the freeway, he noticed students waiting at a bus stop on Percival Road.

After all the students at Forest Lake Elementary School got on the bus, the intern got on the bus with his gun and told the driver he didn’t want to hurt them. He also told the driver to take him to the nearby town, Lott said.

The bus driver started driving and the intern brought all the students to the front of the bus, Lott said. The students started asking the intern several questions.

The intern was frustrated and then forced the driver and the 18 elementary students to get off the bus.

The trainee drove the bus a few kilometers before abandoning the bus. Lott said he left the gun on the bus.

Lott said the intern drove through a neighborhood, trying to get a ride and find new clothes.

MPs spotted the intern near Percival Road and I-77. He was arrested without incident.

No injuries were reported.

“I have been on the board for over 10 years now, and I have never received a call that scared me as much as the one I received this morning. That a bus had been hijacked with our students and staff, ”said Richland School District School Board Chairman James Manning. “We are very happy that they are safe.”

The commanding officer of Fort Jackson, Brigadier General Milford Beagle Jr. held a press conference just after 1 p.m. He said the 23-year-old soldier-in-training from New Jersey jumped the fence line during “personal hygiene hour” before breakfast.

General Beagle said he had been training for three weeks. He also said that they did not issue ammunition to the trainees and therefore did not have ammunition in his rifle during the hijacking incident. He said the intern took the rifle with him so others wouldn’t immediately know he was missing.

The general said he believed the intern’s intention was to return home. They do not believe that he intended to harm others or himself.

The sheriff’s office said he would be charged with several counts of kidnapping as well as other counts.

“You can just imagine that they were afraid of death,” Lott said. “I will pay tribute to the bus driver. He kept his cool. He didn’t overreact. … His main concern was these children and he did his job.

Superintendent Dr Baron Davis said counseling services were available to students when they entered elementary school.

Richland School District Two issued the following statement:

“We are very lucky and grateful that this incident ended peacefully thanks to the actions of our bus driver, our students, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Columbia City Police Department, SC Highway Patrol and other first responders, ”said Dr. Baron R. Davis, superintendent of Richland School District Two.

The driver’s calm response is a good illustration of the training he received as part of a student safety training course. This course is compulsory training for district bus drivers.

Davis said: “Once we were sure all students were looked after and physically safe, we immediately began deploying social and emotional counseling resources at school so our students could begin the process. of healing as they face a traumatic event. We will continue to provide counseling services to students and their families, our bus driver and employees for as long as needed. We will also cooperate fully with law enforcement agencies as they investigate this incident. “

Fort Jackson issued the following statement:

“A Fort Jackson trainee fled his unit this morning with his army
rifle issued. The intern managed to hijack a school bus before being
subordinate to the Richland County Sherriff’s Department in the vicinity of Percival
Road.

Fort Jackson leaders are aware of and are working closely with Richland County
Department of Sherriff throughout the initial stages of this incident.

It was a failure in our accountability procedures that we truly regret and
are an apology to our community.

We are grateful for the rapid actions of the RCSD and the local community to
help the apprehension of the individual. “

We will update this story as more information becomes available.