Teens charged with shooting school bus with BB gun

Two Russellville teens were arrested Thursday morning after being accused of shooting a BB gun at a city school bus filled with 40 children on Wednesday afternoon.

The two teen boys, ages 15 and 16, were picked up from Russellville High School at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday on charges of discharging a projectile into an occupied vehicle, Russellville Police Chief Chris Hargett said.

According to Hargett, the Russellville Police Department was contacted by school officials Thursday morning and told that the incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. when the children were being taken home after school.

Hargett said the bus was on Mustang Drive carrying about 40 students when the two teens shot at the bus, striking it at least two times.

No one was injured, but Hargett said that doesn’t mean this was something the police department or school officials would take lightly.

“Even though this was a BB gun that was used, this was still a dangerous situation and someone could have been seriously injured,” Hargett said.

“This type of behavior will not be tolerated and we want to send the message to these kids that they should think before they act because their actions can have serious consequences.”

Discharging a projectile into an occupied vehicle is a Class C felony punishable by one to 10 years in prison upon conviction.

The juveniles are currently being held at the Tennessee Valley Detention Center.