12-year-old student fires gun found in unattended bag on Chicago school bus, man arrested: Police
A man faces firearm and child endangerment charges after a 12-year-old boy found a gun on a Chicago school bus and fired the weapon, striking one of the vehicle's windows, police said.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon during dismissal at Minnie Miñoso Academy, school officials said.
No one was injured in the shooting, police and school officials said.
The suspect is accused of leaving a bag containing the firearm unattended on the school bus, according to police. The child removed the gun from the bag and discharged one round, police said. A bullet hole could be seen on the bus outside the school.
The suspect allegedly took the firearm and fled following the shooting, police said.
Steven Dixon Jr., 22, was subsequently arrested and has been charged with one felony count of carrying/possessing a firearm at a school, three misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct, police said.
He has a detention hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Police did not say how the suspect is connected to the school or how many people were on the bus at the time.
ABC News has reached out to Minnie Miñoso Academy and Chicago Public Schools for comment.
In a letter addressed to parents and guardians obtained by ABC Chicago station WLS, school officials said the gun did not enter school grounds.
"Today at dismissal, there was a shot fired from inside a school bus transporting students from our school. The shot hit a window on the bus. Thankfully, no one was injured, and all students are safe," Minnie Miñoso Academy Principal Carrie Ann Cole said in Monday's letter.
The Chicago Police Department and the CPS Office of Safety and Security were "immediately notified," Cole said.
"Please know that we take situations like this one extremely seriously," she said.
Minnie Miñoso Academy serves students from pre-K to eighth grade.
