BERKELEY, Mo. — Two men were killed in a shooting on a MetroBus in Berkeley Monday afternoon.
The Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis was activated to handle the investigation. According to investigators, Berkeley police responded at 2:30 p.m. to the 8300 block of Airport Road, where witnesses told them a man fired into the 61 Chambers route bus.
The shooter then got on the bus and fired more shots, said Lt. Jon McIntosh with the Major Case Squad. Two men were struck.
The men were rushed to a local hospital, where they both died. Police are withholding their names pending notification of their families.
The shooter left the scene immediately after the shooting. No other people on the bus were injured.
"This afternoon shots were fired on a MetroBus that was stopped at a bus stop on Airport Road," Metro Transit's spokesperson said. "Law enforcement immediately responded and Metro Transit is fully cooperating with investigators in this ongoing investigation. This brazen act is yet another example of the violent crime crisis we are seeing in our region."
The bus was parked outside the shuttered Airport Elementary School along Airport Road as police investigated. Two bullet holes were visible in the front windshield.
Mcintosh said investigators were checking the bus' surveillance camera for leads.
Investigators urged anyone with information to call CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS(8477). Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward.
“I’m just at a loss for words right now,” said Kim Parks, who has lived in the area for more than two years. She described the neighborhood as "pretty quiet."
"We have random gunfire, but it’s just that, random. Overall, though it’s peaceful here," Parks said.
Alesha Conway also lives in north St. Louis County. “I could have been on that bus. It’s senseless and we have to do better as a community," she said. " … They need to stop the violence. We are trying to live normal lives and the community is going down over nothing."
The Major Case Squad announced late Monday night that a person of interest was taken into custody and investigators would be applying for in-custody warrants on Tuesday.
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