Montpelier police have moved every occupant of a homeless camp where experts say the shot that struck a school bus last Thursday was fired.
According to a Montpelier Police Department statement released October 30, on Friday October 27 MPD and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife returned to the Rte. 2 – Agway store railroad crossing and, with help from First Student busing company, recreated the scene from the previous day.
The Vermont Fish and Game Department provided a bullet trajectory specialist who confirmed what MPD had initially believed: the gunshot that entered the driver’s window of a U-32 school bus carrying students had come from the area of the encampment located on Home Farm Way.
In the interest of public safety, the City of Montpelier requested that the Montpelier Police Department remove the occupants of the encampment on Friday evening. Those occupants were relocated to another temporary location within the city of Montpelier.
During this investigation, the U32 community has provided valuable tips to further our investigation. These tips have all been followed up on over the weekend by Montpelier Police Department investigators.
The Montpelier Police Department is working closely with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on this investigation.
As of October 30, MPD released the following:
· The First Student staff/bus driver made student safety after the incident their immediate priority.
· The Vermont State Police, Montpelier Police, First Student and U32 community will be scheduling an after-action discussion at a later date.
· Preliminary investigation reveals that this shooting appears to be an isolated incident and the bus and students do not appear to have been targeted.
· The encampment on Home Farm Way has been removed.
· The City of Montpelier is working with the Good Samaritan Haven on a safety plan for encampments and the overnight shelter which will be located at 203 Country Club Road beginning November 15.