CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Officers with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are investigating after students say multiple people forced their way onto a school bus and started beating up children indiscriminately.
According to the aunt of one of the students on the bus who was hit, the attack happened Monday afternoon while the bus was dropping kids off from West Mecklenburg High School.
“It looks like they’re at a riot fighting for their lives,” the aunt says, who asked not to be identified. “These are grown people beating on little kids for some he said she said stuff.”
Students on the bus say the problems began last week when one of the kids made fun of a girl’s clothing.
“It was some comment when the little girl was walking off the bus about her having on some pants from Walmart or something like that,” the aunt says. “She got upset about it, went home and told her family.”
According to the students, the girl vowed to get revenge. On Monday, when she was being dropped off at her bus stop, three adults allegedly forced their way onto the bus.
A West Mecklenburg official disputes the student's claim of three adults saying it was two people who forced their way onto the bus and only one being an adult.
“They pushed the bus driver, got on the bus, got the bus quiet and said ‘we want to know which one of y’all were talking about my cousin’s clothes,'” she says.
When none of the children spoke up, one of the individuals allegedly instructed another to single out a child.
“'Slap one of these kids up and show ‘em we’re not playing,'” witnesses claim the adult said. “And then they just proceeded to start swinging on kids.”
One of the students on the bus shot cellphone video that shows a violent attack on the bus. At one point, you can see a person being manhandled from one side of the bus to the other and pummeled with punches.
The aunt says her 15-year-old nephew was punched in the jaw. Altogether, she says, five students were injured.
“I can’t believe this happened,” she says. “I have never seen something like this. This is something people need to be aware of.”
When family members learned about what happened, they contacted CMPD, who turned the case over to CMS Police.
A spokesperson for the district confirmed they are aware of the incident and are currently investigating.