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Authorities in Georgia arrested a woman who allegedly opened fire on a school bus on Monday (May 9) morning. The Gwinnett County Police Department said that Celeste Michele Saunders has been charged with four counts of first-degree cruelty to children, five counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies, and unauthorized discharge of a firearm near a public street.
There were four kindergarten students on the bus along with the driver when Saunders allegedly fired a dozen shots at the bus as it left a stop near her home. The children were not injured and the students all arrived safely at school. The bus driver, Patricia Rodriguez, suffered minor injuries due to broken glass from the shattered windshield.
"We are grateful for the awareness of our driver, the partnership, and the swift investigation of our school police and Gwinnett County police, who were able to identify the suspect and take them into custody this morning," said Melissa Laramie, chief communications officer for Gwinnett County Public Schools. "Most importantly, we are so grateful the GCPS staff and children on the bus arrived safely at school."
Investigators have not determined why Saunders fired at the bus but said it was an isolated incident.
"This is an isolated incident," Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. William Wolfe said. "This isn't a common occurrence here in Gwinnett County. But as to the exact motive, we are still waiting for detectives to show up to conduct interviews and make that determination."