Intoxicated man boards Boise school bus with gun, drugs hidden in backpack
Parents of Boise students received alerts about an armed individual boarding a school bus Thursday morning.
A man who was not a student got onto a school bus near downtown that was headed to North Junior High School and Boise High School, the Boise School District said in a message alert to parents.
Durham Bus Co., the district’s transportation provider, notified administrators at the junior high school about 7:30 a.m. of the person’s “suspicious” behavior, telling them he appeared “under the influence,” according to the alert, which the Boise School District shared with the Idaho Statesman.
A Boise Police Department student resource officer and school administrators met the bus when it arrived at North Junior High School in the North End, the Boise Police Department said in a news release.
Police said the officer took him into custody and found a stolen gun and drugs hidden in the backpack he carried. The man remains in custody and police are investigating “to assess the individual’s motives,” the district said.
There was no knife in the bag, as the school initially reported, police said.
Boise police identified the man as a 19-year-old Meridian man. He attempted to run away after police began searching his bag but was taken into custody after a “short foot pursuit,” police said. The agency said evidence showed he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol “and boarded the bus attempting to get a ride to an unknown location.”
Police booked him into the Ada County Jail on felony charges of grand theft and possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence, possessing a weapon on school property and resisting arrest.
“There is no evidence to indicate a direct threat to students or any local schools,” police said.
The school district said once an investigation of the incident is complete, Boise School District administrators will “lead a review of our current procedures and protocols and identify how we can improve them to prevent situations like this in the future.” The district said it understands if parents choose alternative modes of transportation for their children in the meantime, acknowledging many questions about the incident have yet to be answered.
“We understand the anxiety and fear that situations like this can create for both students and families,” the school district said. “Your trust in our schools is crucial, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2023 at 10:57 AM.
