Gun on Mukwonago school bus, driver provides context to situation
Gun on Mukwonago school bus, driver provides context
A school bus driver let a woman with a gun onto his school bus, and he says he has no regrets. He said he was trying to keep this woman, her kids, and a bus load of elementary school students safe. However, he says he had no idea the woman had a gun until police showed up.
MUKWONAGO, Wis. - A Mukwanago school bus driver says he let a woman on to his bus but didn't know she was carrying a gun.
He wants people to know there's a lot more to the story than that.
He says he had no idea the woman had a gun until police showed up.
The driver, who also worked as a police officer for four years, says he was trying to keep this woman, her kids, and a bus load of elementary school students safe.
School bus incident
What we know:
"She was out of breath, shaking visibly."
Bill Roeder talking with FOX6's Bret Lemoine
School bus driver Bill Roeder describes what happened on his route Feb. 26 as an impossible situation.
During afternoon drop-off at Winkler and Section Road, Roeder saw an elementary school parent waiting to pick up her kids in a panic.
"She came rushing over to the bus and said ‘there’s trouble. I need to leave the kids on the bus.’ I’m like, ‘what?’" said Roeder.
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School bus
The mother was worried her ex, who was at the bus stop with her, was going to hurt her and her two children. She told Roeder the man had a weapon.
"I had a whole bus full of kids – I had to make a decision just like that and my decision was to get her out of there," said Roeder.
Roeder says he radioed his employer, Dousman Transport Company, who called police.
Officers met the bus at its final stop where the woman told police she was carrying a gun in a locked case.
Dousman Transport
Follow-up action
What we know:
The next week, the Mukwonago Area School District issued a statement letting parents know about the gun and the parent who had a quote, "personal safety concern."
"The message wasn’t in the full context – he didn’t really tell anyone what happened or how dire the situation could have become," said Roeder.
Statement from Mukwonago Area School District
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In a letter on Friday, Dousman Transport Company gave more context, but says Roeder violated policy by letting an unauthorized rider onboard.
Roeder says the alternative was having two children and their mother put into a potentially dangerous situation.
Gun on Mukwonago school bus, district releases new details
The Mukwonago Area School District on Friday released new details about an incident in which a parent brought a gun onto a school bus.
Dousman Transport says Roeder is still employed, but the company won’t let him drive school routes in Mukwonago anymore.
"It makes me feel terrible. Would I do it again? I would do it again," added Roeder.
There is a closed-session meeting tonight to discuss the school district's contract with Dousman Transport. Both sides declined to share specifics.
The Source: FOX6 has previously reported on the incident with information from the Mukwonago Area School District and Dousman Transport. FOX6 also spoke with the bus driver to produce this story.