This footage depicts a Charlotte, North Carolina bus passenger drawing a handgun to threaten the driver. Unbeknownst to him, the driver has a handgun of his own. A firefight ensues.

The driver and the passenger are seen in an altercation. The driver refuses to let the passenger off between scheduled stops on his route. At 0:10 seconds, the driver remarks "I dare you." While the audio is redacted here, sources indicate he added "I'll pop you." The passenger steps out-of-frame at 0:20. He steps back in at 0:30 with a handgun, at which point the driver draws his own and begins firing on the passenger/suspect through the plexiglass divider. at 0:38, the driver regains control of the vehicle and brings it to a stop. He was shot in the arm, and can be seen inspecting it at 0:51, flatly informing the passenger "you shot me (expletives)." As he steps out of frame, more gunfire is heard. He then exits the bus via the front door to continue shooting at the passenger.

The second scene in this footage shows the exhange with a clear view of the passenger. He draws his handgun at 01:26 and the exchange of fire takes place. At 01:40, he and other passengers are seen crawling to the back of the bus. There were two other passengers aboard at the time of the gunfight. The driver chases the passenger off the bus with gunfire at 02:12. The coverage transitions to the outside of the bus at 02:38, as the driver, to the left, continues to fire at the passenger, right.

Sources report that the bus driver sustained a gunshot to the right arm, while the armed passenger was hit in the abdomen. Both survived, although as of 05/27/23 the bus driver has been terminated from his employment. The passenger/suspect is out of jail, on $250K USD bail.

About the Author

Cole Simms

Cole Simms is an Air Guardsman, NASA enthusiast, police officer, and security contractor with particular experience in austere environments. Outside of work, he volunteers as a Stop The Bleed instructor for area schools. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and blends his knowledge and experience to write analysis for Funker530.