By Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
- A bus driver was stabbed in front of elementary students on Friday, KHQ-TV reported.
- The incident happened at Longfellow Elementary School in Pasco, Washington.
- Police said no children were injured.
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A bus driver in Washington was fatally stabbed in front of elementary school students on board the bus Friday afternoon.
The driver was attacked by the unidentified suspect at Longfellow Elementary School in Pasco, Washington, KHQ-TV reported.
According to the Tri-City Herald, when the attack occurred, the driver lost control of the bus, resulting in it crashing into bushes and a tree.
At a press conference on Friday, Pasco Police Department Captain Bill Paramore said that officers responded to the scene just after 3 p.m.
"When officers arrived, they confirmed that the driver had been assaulted with a knife," Parramore said. "The suspect was at the scene and was taken into custody without incident by the Pasco Police Department."
The driver was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to KHQ-TV.
Police said no students were injured in the incident. According to Parramore, parents were notified and were able to pick up their children from school.
The Tri-City Herald reported that counselors were sent to the school to assist staff and students over the weekend.
"We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own. Our focus right now is on supporting our students and staff who are deeply impacted by this tragedy," Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney said in a letter on Friday.
Mayor Saul Martinez released a statement on Saturday regarding the incident.
"I, along with the entire Pasco community, am in deep shock over the senseless death of a bus driver at Longfellow Elementary on Friday afternoon while transporting students," Martinez said. "Tragedies such as Friday's death are difficult to comprehend. My thoughts are with everyone that has been touched by this death, especially the family of the driver and the students who were impacted.