Bullet Found On Cape Public School Bus Filled With Elementary Students

BOURNE, MA — A bullet was found on a Bourne school bus full of elementary school students Tuesday, according to Superintendent Kerrie Anne Quinlan-Zhou.

Shortly before 9 a.m., a small group of Bournedale Elementary School students discovered the .22 caliber round on the floor of a school bus. A student handed it to the bus driver as the bus pulled into the school, and the driver then reported it to administrators, school officials said. The district then immediately called Bourne police to begin their investigation.

School officials said parents later told the district that an elementary school student had brought a spent shell casing on the bus. Police determined that the shell casing caused no threat to anyone in the district.

"I want to praise the students who did the right thing by immediately reporting the round to the bus driver this morning," Quinlan-Zhou said in a statement. "I also want to thank the Bourne Police Department for their quick response. Our School Resource Officer Connor McAnaugh worked with us from the very beginning of the investigation and BPD officers were quick to respond and assisted throughout. We are grateful for our strong partnership with our local law enforcement."

The bus transports both middle and high school and Bournedale Elementary students throughout the day. Middle and high school students had already been dropped off by the bus earlier in the morning.

School administrators reviewed video footage from the bus and interviewed all students who rode that bus. School officials said no further items were discovered and there was no threat posed to students or staff.

There was no disruption to the school day as part of the investigation.