CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – Two Clay County school buses were damaged by rocks Monday morning, and authorities are working to find out who threw them.
According to the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the buses were hit on County Road 218 near the Clay Hill area of Middleburg.
A call to the Sheriff's Office originally reported gunfire, but investigators said they quickly determined that wasn't the case when they found chunks of rocks inside the buses, which suffered damage, including broken windows.
Investigators had to dispel rumors on social media after panic spread during the confusion.
One high school student was on board one of the buses at the time of the incident, but no one was hurt, authorities said. They said the buses were targeted by whoever threw the rocks.
Charles Kite said his teenaged grandson was on the bus when it was hit Monday morning.
“This day and age, kids ain't behaving like they did in my day or your day,” Kite said. “I do think they should be punished.”
The drivers pulled their buses over immediately and they followed protocol in alerting the district and law enforcement, a district spokeswoman said. Parents were notified, and households with routes in the area were alerted to the delay caused by the investigation.
The incident caused a 45-minute delay on routes in that area, the spokeswoman said.
The district released the following statement on the incident:
Clay County District Schools is thankful that everyone remained safe and followed protocol during this morning's incident involving two schools buses that were struck by rocks. At this time, the Clay County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident to identify the person(s) responsible. All routes have resumed as normal. As always, safety is the District's top priority and it will continue to foster a safe and respectful environment for all. "
If your vehicle was struck Monday while driving through Clay Hill or if you have any information, please contact the Sheriff's Office Communications Section at 904-264-6512.