TEXARKANA, Texas - A gun found this morning at approximately 10:20 a.m. on a Bowie County Transportation school bus at Pleasant Grove Middle School belonged to the bus driver, according to a statement from Pleasant Grove Independent School District.
A student who was loading the bus reported the firearm to the bus driver, who immediately secured the scene and notified campus administration, which began investigating the incident with Texarkana, Texas, Police Department School Resource Officer Pete Mann.
The investigation found that the firearm belonged to a Bowie County Transportation Department and PGISD employee who has a concealed handgun license. A video on the bus showed the employee boarded the bus to be shuttled to another district location and that the firearm fell out of its holster onto the seat when the employee was getting off the bus.
The district said that at no time did a student make contact with the gun and that district policies do not permit employees to carry a firearm at work.
The employee handbook states, "Employees, visitors, and students, including those with a license to carry a handgun, are prohibited from bringing firearms, knives, clubs or other prohibited firearms onto school premises (i.e., building or portion of a building) or any grounds or building where a school-sponsored activity takes place."
"Providing a safe learning environment for our students and staff is our highest priority in Pleasant Grove ISD," Superintendent Chad Pirtle said. "I want to commend the student who reported the firearm, the bus driver who secured the scene, our middle school administrative team, and the Texarkana Texas Police Department for their diligence in handling the situation promptly and appropriately."
- From Pleasant Grove Independent School District