Brooklyn

School Bus With Child Aboard, MTA Bus Hit by Bullets as Gunfire Erupts in Brooklyn, Sources Say

Chopper 4 showed an army of law enforcement officers at the scene; the search for a suspect is ongoing

What to Know

  • A school bus with a child aboard was hit by a bullet when gunfire erupted near school buildings in Brooklyn, law enforcement sources say
  • The child and the others were not hurt; an MTA bus with dozens of passengers aboard also was hit by gunfire -- no one was hurt there either
  • A 32-year-old man was shot multiple times in the stomach and later died, the sources said; the search for a shooter is ongoing

A school bus with a child aboard and an MTA bus with dozens of passengers were hit by bullets as a hail of gunfire erupted after an argument in Brooklyn Tuesday -- and the target of that shooting has died, law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation tell News 4. 

Sources say there was some sort of confrontation near Pennsylvania and Dumont avenues shortly before 9 a.m. and a person opened fire from across one of four school buildings in the area. The school bus was hit by bullets, as was an MTA bus that had dozens of passengers on it, the sources said.

Aside from the driver of the school bus, a matron and a 4-year-old child were on board. None of the three was injured, nor were any of the passengers aboard the city bus. Multiple other vehicles were also hit in the barrage of bullets.

The driver of the MTA bus told police he thought a tire had blown out, and no one on the bus was even aware a bullet had blasted through the front door.

A 32-year-old man who was shot multiple times in the abdomen was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died. He was identified as Fransisco Bonilla.

Chopper 4 showed an army of law enforcement officers at the scene. The entire block radius was cordoned off by caution tape as authorities checked out the bus and canvassed the scene for evidence. The search for a suspect is ongoing. 

The city's Department of Education said in a statement that NYPD and EMS immediately responded and confirmed no children were hurt. 

"We immediately notified the family and will provide any additional support needed," a spokeswoman said. 

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