COLUMBUS, Ohio — Five teenagers armed with guns were arrested on a city bus in Columbus, according to our media partner WBNS-10 TV.
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The incident happened in late December on a COTA bus.
Authorities said each teenager had a gun, and all but one were loaded, our media partner reported.
One of the teenagers was as young as 14.
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Our media partners obtained the surveillance video from the bus, which shows the arrests happening.
As police enter the bus, the teens appear to pull items out of their coats and try to put them behind and under the seats.
Those items were later identified as credit cards and guns.
Officers start making arrests immediately.
“Don’t (expletive) reach for anything,” one officer is heard saying while approaching a suspect.
Another officer is heard explaining what happened to the other passengers on the bus.
“So listen, they were in a stolen car,” an officer is heard saying. “We’ve been following them around all morning, obviously they just dumped the gun; they’re really bad kids.”
COTA officials told WBNS-10 that the cameras on the bus play a major role in its safety initiatives.
“Those suspects were on the vehicle for a matter of a few minutes, and within a few minutes, those operators were there to be able to capture them,” Jeff Pullin, Director of Public and Media Relations for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, said.
The multiple camera angles can give police and prosecutors important evidence.
“We have six to eight cameras pointed at our customers and our operator and our community at all moments when you’re on a bus and that is to protect ourselves and to make it safe for you,” Pullin said.
The teens are facing several charges, including carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a vehicle and tampering with evidence.
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