SUWANEE, Ga. — A woman faces a number of charges after shooting at a school bus multiple times while it was driving through a Suwanee neighborhood Monday morning, police said.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, Celeste Saunders fired a gun in a subdivision near Highland Gate Circle and Highland Gate Drive, not far from Settles Bridge Park, around 7:15 a.m. The bus was taking students to Riverside Elementary School.
The bus driver suffered minor injuries from the glass. Photos show the windshield has a least two bullet holes on the driver's side. However, police said no one was shot in the incident. Authorities said there were multiple Gwinnett County Public Schools students on board at the time of the shooting.
Saunders was taken into custody following the gunfire. She is accused of:
- Four counts of cruelty to children in the first degree
- Five counts of aggravated assault
- Possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies
- Unauthorized discharge of a firearm near public street
Police said the driver continued out of the neighborhood to get the kids to a safe place. They said there were multiple calls to 911.
In a statement, GCPS said they were thankful for the driver and the swift action of authorities:
"We are grateful for the awareness of our driver, the partnership, and the swift investigation of our School Police and Gwinnett County Police, who were able to identify the suspect and take them into custody this morning. Most importantly, we are so grateful the GCPS staff and children on the bus arrived safely at school. We have an increased presence of officers on site today to ensure all of our students, families, and staff feel safe as we continue to focus on teaching and learning as well as the mental and physical well-being of our students and staff."
If anyone has any information to share in this case, contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.