Driver Finds Student With Loaded Gun on School Bus
The Georgia bus driver finds a Ruger .38 caliber pistol in the student's backpack and holds onto the student's belongings until authorities arrive at the scene.
COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — A fourth grade student here is out of school after a bus driver reportedly found a loaded pistol in the student's backpack on Wednesday, 11 Alive reports.
Newnan Police Department officers said another student told the bus driver that the student had the loaded gun as they were exiting the bus, according to the news source. Officials told 11 Alive that the bus driver quickly checked the accused student’s backpack and found the Ruger .38 caliber pistol. The bus driver held onto the student’s belongings until authorities arrived at the scene, according to the news source.
Officials told 11 Alive that the student was removed from the bus and taken back to school until their parents arrived. Police added that no student was threatened or injured, and that the accused student is not currently at the school.
Ruth Hill Elementary School sent a letter to parents informing them of the incident, according to 11 Alive. In the letter, the school’s principal, Aaron Corley, urged any students with additional information to contact administrators, the news source reports. Corley also wrote in the letter, according to 11 Alive, that “safety remains an utmost priority” for the administration, and that parents should remind students to notify the administration any time they are concerned about their safety and to only bring approved items onto the Coweta County School System’s property.
To read the full story, go here.
More Safety

How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours
As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.
Read More →
FMCSA Names New Chief Safety Officer: What School Bus Operators Should Know
Steve Dowling is set to lead the federal agency's efforts to advance commercial motor vehicle safety and reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on the nation's roadways.
Read More →
New Study Finds School Zone Speed Safety Cameras Cut Speeding Violations 97%
A Florida university's research demonstrates that Verra Mobility's automated enforcement changes driver behavior and significantly improves school zone safety.
Read More →
What Changed in DOT’s New National Roadway Safety Strategy?
The federal agency's new plan shifts its focus to safer people, roads and vehicles, with a new three-pronged approach instead of five. One outlined action even addresses a key industry concern around illegal school bus passing.
Read More →
Are Autonomous Vehicles Ready to Safely Navigate School Bus Stops?
NHTSA is accelerating autonomous vehicle deployment through new safety standards and commercial approvals. See why school transportation leaders are watching.
Read More →
NFL Star Lomas Brown Kicks Off New Illegal School Bus Passing PSA
Just in time for the back-to-school season, the former Detroit Lions offensive tackle took time to record a video encouraging motorists to slow down around school buses.
Read More →
How Two Texas Districts Built Award-Winning Safety Programs
Learn how Prosper ISD and Rockwall ISD earned National Safety Council honors through hands-on training, safety culture, and strategies that reduced transportation incidents.
Read More →
NHTSA Releases 10-Year Review of Fatal School Bus Crashes
The latest federal analysis reinforces the safety of school buses while identifying where school-age pedestrians and other motorists remain most at risk.
Read More →
2026 NASDPTS Survey: Data Shows Further Reduction of Illegal Passing
New data is in! School bus stop-arm passings are down to 38.4 million violations per year, about a 2.3% decrease from last school year — but passings on the right side of the bus are higher than ever.
Read More →
Another School Bus Fatality Reported in Monsey, New York
A 7-year-old girl died after being struck by a school bus in Rockland County, New York while crossing the street. Here's what we know.
Read More →
