Authorities hunt school bus bullet origin

Published 2:09 pm Friday, October 7, 2016

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies did not find anything suspicious during a follow through at East St. John High School Friday morning that came about after a bullet was reportedly found on a public school bus.

Officials with the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District who responded to the high school and LaPlace Elementary School Friday morning reported they found nothing out of the ordinary.

District officials said the parent of a 13-year-old LaPlace Elementary School student contacted the transportation department Thursday to report her child brought home a bullet, adding the student found it on a bus Wednesday afternoon.

A release from the School District Friday said an internal investigation would include viewing a videotape from the bus to determine if the bullet was actually found there. Results of that review were not immediately available.

The Sheriff’s Office sent a detective and a K-9 unit to East St. John High School Friday morning as a precautionary measure, school officials said.

The bus in question serves LaPlace Elementary and East St. John High schools. District officials were at both sites Friday assisting with the investigation.

School officials said the bullet was turned over to the District Friday and passed to the Sheriff’s Office for investigation. It had not been fired.

School officials said they do not anticipate instituting any extra precautions next week.