School bus hair-pulling allegedly leads to adult shooting
NORTH AMITYVILLE, N.Y. -- A Long Island father who says a boy on the school bus pulled his daughter's hair is accused of shooting the boy's grandfather, reports CBS New York.
Police say Anthony Franklin was upset when he found out a boy was apparently bullying his 5-year-old daughter on the bus.
"He pulled my hair, he called me a b-word and he touched my book bag, scratched me in my forehead," Franklin's daughter told 1010 WINS.
Police reportedly say that on Tuesday afternoon, Franklin went to the home of the boy he believed was involved and got into an altercation with the boy's grandfather, Wilson McWilliams.
The girl's mother, Ayesha Clinton, said she and Franklin went to the house "to try to speak to the parents about the situation, it's been going on."
Detectives claim Franklin pulled a gun on the 48-year-old grandfather and fired two rounds into the man's leg and buttocks.
Franklin claims the shooting was accidental as they struggled over the weapon.
"It started because the little boy pulled my daughter's hair and said he was going to kill her. It's been going for a month and a half...Myself and the father came to speak to the parents and it turned into a physical altercation," Clinton told CBS New York.
The school, Northeast Elementary in Amityville, N.Y., had this to say about the claims of taunting on the bus.
"The district conducted an internal investigation and does not tolerate any type of inappropriate behavior among students. Disciplinary matters are confidential."
McWilliams was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.
Franklin, 28, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault. Franklin is being held on $150,000 bond, according to the station.
The little girl will reportedly not ride the school bus until her mother is satisfied that it is safe.