CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man who is accused of firing a gun inside a Charlotte Area Transit System bus was released from Mecklenburg County Jail earlier this month, according to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said the May 18 shooting occurred after Omarri Shariff Tobias, a passenger, asked David Fullard, the driver, to make an unscheduled stop as the bus traveled through Charlotte's Steele Creek neighborhood. CATS surveillance video captured the incident.
When Fullard refused, Tobias can be heard on the recording taunting Fullard, who continues to drive. Then, Tobias can be seen pulling a gun, and moments later, Fullard pulls out his own gun. Gunfire is then exchanged as the bus drives off the roadway.
Two other passengers on the bus ran to the rear of the bus. Neither of those individuals were physically harmed in the shooting.
Tobias was arrested and now faces several charges related to the shooting. According to sheriff's office records, Tobias was released on a $50,000 bond on Aug. 12.
Fullard, a former CATS bus driver, said he is lucky to be alive following the shootouts. He believes this incident could have been prevented if the right safety measures were in place.
He is calling for immediate action to be taken to protect his former fellow bus drivers before it's too late.
“That was mentally disturbing what happened to me, I could have been dead,” Fullard said. "I’ve got an eighth grandchild on the way. I have seven grandchildren and thank God I get to see them."
RATP Dev, the third-party operator of the city's buses, said it "parted ways" with Fullard, accusing him of violating employee policy by carrying the weapon on the job. WCNC Charlotte learned Fullard will likely not face charges at this time.
CATS and city leaders are working on a plan to substantially increase funds toward safety and security contracts within the next two years. To help with security, agency leaders also say all buses have a silent alarm system to call for help.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.