Gunfire hits church bus

By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

As a loaded church bus drove through a gun fight Sunday afternoon at Civic Apartments, riders hit the floor to escape injury.

Although the First Calvary Baptist Church 15-passenger bus was hit twice by bullets, no one was struck, but a woman with a pacemaker was taken to the hospital.

Salisbury Police Chief Mark Wilhelm said police have several suspects and are working to make arrests.

People who were in the bus told police that there were as many as six shooters.

Police responded shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday to a report of shots fired in the area of Civic Apartments, 715 Hall St.

Police also responded to the church at 400 S. Long St., where the bus driver had gone to let many of the riders off.

According to police, the riders said the "guys were shooting back and forth at each other" with some in cars, one on the front porch of a house on Forney Street, and one man shooting from behind the bus.

Two people sitting in the front of the bus identified one of the weapons as a .38-caliber revolver.

Police found a scrape mark on the bus which appeared to be a bullet graze, indicating it was fired from the front, going toward the back.

Police also found a bullet hole near the back of the bus with the bullet lodging in fiberglass.

The woman, who experienced chest pains, was taken to Rowan Regional Medical Center where she was checked out and released.

Police are looking for six or more suspects in the shooting.

According to witnesses, the shooters were in a gray Honda and a black Mercury.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Salisbury Police at 704-638-5333.