Police: TPS school bus hit by gunfire with students on board, nearly 50 rounds fired in area

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Toledo Police are looking for a suspect or suspects who allegedly fired several shots in a Toledo neighborhood, striking a bus with students on board.

Toledo Public School Bus dispatch called to report that one of their busses was struck by gunfire around 4:00 p.m. on Jan. 24 while driving in the area of Avondale and Evesham. The bus driver said she was driving southbound on Evesham towards Avondale and intended to turn left onto Avondale when she noticed a black sedan driving fast.

The bus driver said she heard the gunshots and thought they were firecrackers. One of the seven students on the bus informed the bus driver that those were gunshots and the bus driver sped away southbound towards Nebraska.

According to police reports, units later responded to the area of Avondale and Marmion around 4:15 p.m. for multiple ShotSpotter alerts.

According to the ShotSpotter alerts, there were 19 rounds reported at 2024 Avondale, 20 rounds reported at 2082 Avondale, and seven rounds reported at 2001 Midway Plaisance when they learned the bus was hit.

Upon arriving, officers did not find anyone shot but noticed what appeared to be fresh shoe prints in the snow next to a house on the 800 block of Marmion Ave.

The officer said the prints that were closer to the porch of the house appeared to be from Timberland boots. There were also more prints in the snow closer to the street. There were about three separate print types the officer could see.

According to police reports, detectives found shell casings in the alley behind 900 Marion Ave., a black Nike shoe and a shell casing in the alley close to 1023 Marmion Ave. and shell casings on the sidewalk in front of a house on the 1000 block of Waverly.

Police reports say Gang Task Force detectives stopped two men, one who was wearing black Timberlands and another who was wearing Jordan sneakers in a lot on the 900 block of Marmion. The two told police they were standing in the area of where the gunshots were and they ran away.

One of the men told police as he was running away, he dropped his keys to a van he had been driving on Waverly. Detectives located the keys to the vehicle in front of a house on the 900 block of Waverly. Detectives also found the vehicle parked in an alley on the west side of the 900 block of Waverly, which is the same alley detectives found shell casings.

Police say no one was injured.

Police and TPS police are investigating the incident. Officials did not identify any suspects in the incident so far. Those with information can contact Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.

Copyright 2023 WTVG. All rights reserved.