Bourne bus driver speaks out after school gun scare

BOURNE, Mass. (WHDH) -- An army of police officers descended on a school bus parking lot in Bourne on Friday morning after a bus driver reported seeing a teenager on her bus armed with a gun.

“I almost felt like just collapsing and scared,” said Sally, the bus driver.

Sally said when she got on the bus around 6 a.m. Friday she realized someone was in the back seat.

“I could see, like, a backpack and also a jacket hanging off one of the seats in the back and I knew somebody was on there,” said Sally.

Leaving her tote bag behind, Sally ran off the front of the bus to her friend, who called for help. Sally returned to the bus when she saw the back door open. That’s when she came face-to-face with a teenager she says was holding a rifle.

“I said, ‘Excuse me, could you tell me what you were doing in there?’ and at that time I noticed some type of a weapon that he was just holding down -- he never pointed it to me,” said Sally.

The suspect fled and police with canine units combed the area. All schools in Bourne took extra security measures and were placed into a modified lockdown for a few hours. Classes continued as normal.

“It appeared to be that he was just sleeping on the bus,” said Lt. Richard Tavares of the Bourne police department.

Police arrested the 16-year-old suspect and charged him with breaking and entering a school bus and assault with a dangerous weapon. He was held on $1,000 bail and brought to a youth detention center.

His father had no comment after Friday’s arraignment.

“I wish him well if he just needed a place to stay and I feel bad for him in a way,” said Sally.