Miami School Bus Shooting: 13-year-old girl shot on bus has died, police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

A 13-year-old girl was shot on this school bus near Miami, Fla. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012

/ CBS Miami

(CBS/AP) MIAMI - A 13-year-old girl who was shot while riding a school bus with her younger sister Tuesday has died, Miami-Dade Police said.

Police were still interviewing a male student who was taken into custody for questioning. Authorities did not release his name or age.

A gun was also recovered at the scene in Homestead, south of Miami. Authorities didn't say how many times the victim was shot.

"We still don't know what the motive may have been," said police spokesman Det. Alvaro Zabaleta.

Eight other children, including the victim's 7-year-old sister, were on the bus but were not harmed. Authorities took the children and the bus driver to a police station to be interviewed.

The victim, who has not been identified, attended Palm Glades Preparatory Academy, a charter middle school south of Miami. The victim's sister went to nearby Summerville Advantage Academy.

Grief counselors were on their way to the charter school, said Lynn Norman-Teck, a spokeswoman for Florida Consortium of Public Charter Schools.

More on Crimesider
Nov. 20, 2012 - Miami School Bus Shooting: Thirteen-year-old girl shot on bus, male student questioned

15 Comments +

Add a Comment See all 15 Comments


by jeannutson November 21, 2012 5:47 AM EST: The difficulty in figuring out the exact motives behind the recent rapidly growing serial killings and murders is a clear indication of the quickly looming social crises and chaos very likely to emanate from the economic hardships and other pressures.; Reply to this comment


by lami987 November 20, 2012 10:38 PM EST: Gun owners and gun buyers must be mentally eveluated and background checked to make sure they are responsible gun owners and buyers. Whoever allowed that child to use his/her gun is not a responsible gun owner. That test must be repeated every so many years. Failure to pass that test would disqualify that person from owning any gun. Its same situation with drugs. Drugs are not the problem, people are. So buyers of drugs for recreation purposes have to go thru somekind of evaluation also.; Reply to this comment


by FormerUSMCSergeant November 20, 2012 10:19 PM EST: Another reason to home school....; Reply to this comment

by Physics_MSc November 20, 2012 7:53 PM EST

Nice place these blue states....

Reply to this comment


by gbgentleman November 20, 2012 8:37 PM EST: And no murders happen in red states?

For you information here are some stats for you. Florida has a murder rate of 5.2 per 100,000.

Georgia is 5.6
Arizona 6.2
Louisiana 11.2
Mississippi 8.0
South Carolina 6.8

So tell me again about the blue states?

by Oh-Pin-Yun November 20, 2012 5:51 PM EST

First let me say that I have no problem what so ever with anyone who wants to exercise their right to own a weapon. There are responsible people who own and account for the weapons they own. The weapons are kept unloaded and locked up so that no one else can use that weapon without supervised permission. Those adults who fail to carry out their responsibilities should be charged with accessory to the crime at least in the form of Involuntary man slaughter through criminal negligence.

Involuntary manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice aforethought, either express or implied. It is distinguished from voluntary manslaughter by the absence of intention. It is normally divided into two categories; constructive manslaughter and criminally negligent manslaughter, both of which involve criminal liability.

Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs where death results from serious negligence, or, in some jurisdictions, serious recklessness. Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs where there is an omission to act when there is a duty to do so, or a failure to perform a duty owed, which leads to a death.

An adult was in charge of this weapon. That adult left the weapon unattended and unsecured. The result: One child is dead. One child's life is ruined. Two families morn. That adult is guilty of Involuntary Man Slaughter through Criminal negligence.

Reply to this comment


by howbizarre November 20, 2012 7:43 PM EST: If we want to stop this, the adult needs to be found guilty of murder not involuntary manslaughter.


by ctromley November 20, 2012 10:54 PM EST: I'm not happy with the 2nd amendment, but it's a part of the Constitution. So how about all us adults step up and own the lessons we've been telling our kids all these years - with rights come responsibilities.

You own a gun? It's a deadly weapon, so YOU, dear owner, are RESPONSIBLE for keeping it from causing unintended damage. This child shooter obviously got the gun from someone who wasn't keeping it properly secured. That owner is RESPONSIBLE for the death of the victim if reasonable measures to secure it weren't taken.

Yes you have a right to bear arms. But it's a very high-stakes right. You claim the right, you OWN THE RESPONSIBILITY.

Still working through the Trayvon Martin debacle, and now this little girl. When are Floridians going to take their state back from the NRA nut-cases?


by betty42254 November 20, 2012 4:52 PM EST: The fault lies with whoever gave this kid access to a gun and the idea that it was ok to shoot someone.; Reply to this comment

by easydoesitron November 20, 2012 4:45 PM EST

I have witnessed plenty of bullying on school buses and pretty much all other aspects of school. Has bullying progressed to the point of using a gun; whether used by the bully or as a form of recompense for the bullied.
Is the use of a weapon the central issue here? Or is this is a case of bullying gone horribly wrong? The main issue then is the bullying, not the use of a weapon.
I have been hearing too often of the bullied committing suicide, unable to live with the humiliation, fear, taunting from peers, and physical harm. This use of a gun could be an extension of such behavior.
Please do not see my comments as discounting the murder of this student of 13 with the use of a gun. The popularity of guns is scary. The lack of respect of guns is scary. Where did the student get the gun? I wold doubt a student in the 13 year old range has the funds to obtain such a weapon, and if they did, they would not be going to school. I see it as a lack of respect for the gun and this child having access to it and the ammunition.
All in all, a terrible, terrible tragedy that will destroy the lives of at least 2 families.

Reply to this comment


by rsmik November 20, 2012 7:08 PM EST: What in the world are you on about?


by cantiknitro November 21, 2012 3:04 PM EST: Bullying might be part of it, but the girl was shot. The issue is guns. No idea how the kid got the gun, but you know he didn't buy it from a legal establishment. He either bought it off the street or swiped from a grown up, in which case the grown up is at least negligent.

Bullying is bad. Shooting a bully is worse. Is the message here: "Guns don't kill people. Victims of bullying kill people."? Is that your thing?


by SJames6621 November 20, 2012 3:31 PM EST: Score another viotim for the merchants of death and their pals like the Repub George Bush who made such a political issue of the life of MS Schiavo, a brain dead woman

The same Bush who let the assualt rifle ban die that increased the carnage in Aurora CO by mentally ill people; Reply to this comment


by SJames6621 November 20, 2012 3:31 PM EST: Score another viotim for the merchants of death and their pals like the Repub George Bush who made such a political issue of the life of MS Schiavo, a brain dead woman

The same Bush who let the assualt rifle ban die that increased the carnage in Aurora CO by mentally ill people; Reply to this comment