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U.S. NEWS Friday 29 March 2019
Seattle bus driver shot in

torso gets passengers to safety

By LISA BAUMANN and chael Norman, then ap- taken to Seattle's Harbor-
GENE JOHNSON proached a second motor- view Medical Center. None
Associated Press ist and opened fire, killing a suffered life-threatening in-
SEATTLE (AP) — A bus driver 50-year-old man, accord- juries, said hospital spokes-
hailed as a hero for steer- ing to police. After officers woman Susan Gregg.
ing his bus away from a arrived, the suspect fled "Our thoughts now are with Several bullet holes can be seen in the driver's side window of a
gunman who opened fire in that victim's vehicle. He families of those killed and Metro Bus on Northeast 125th Street, between 32nd and 33rd Av-
in Seattle on him and his drove a few blocks and those injured," said Durkan. enues Northeast after a shooting in Seattle, Wednesday March
passengers says he was just then collided with another "The entire city of Seattle is 27, 2019.
doing his job but is "glad to car, killing the 70-year-old pulling for them."q Associated Press
be alive." male driver, fire depart-
Eric Stark was hit in the torso ment officials said.
by a bullet but authorities Norman, 33, was taken into
have said he still managed custody after a brief stand-
to turn the bus around and off, police said. King Coun-
drive his passengers to safe- ty Jail records showed he
ty from the gunman walk- was booked on investiga-
ing in a neighborhood who tion of homicide, robbery
went on to kill two men, ap- and assault Thursday after
parently at random, before his release from a hospital
he was taken into custody for treatment of what were
Stark ,53, "saved lives and characterized as minor in-
took action even after be- juries.
ing harmed," said Seattle Witness John Barrett told
Mayor Jenny Durkin. the KOMO television sta-
But Stark, recovering Thurs- tion that he was in his ga-
day in a hospital, told ABC's rage when he heard what
"Good Morning America" sounded like fire crackers.
Thursday "it's what any oth- He went outside and saw
er driver would be able to a man with a gun pointing
do if they were physically it at people as he walked
able," down a street "just firing at
The events unfolded at anything just without any
about 4 p.m. Wednes- regard."
day in Seattle's Lake City None of the passengers
neighborhood, when the aboard the bus driven by
gunman walked up to a Stark were hurt, the King
56-year-old female driver, County Metro Transit agen-
shooting and wounding cy said.
her. The man, who po- Stark managed to get off
lice had still not identified the bus and walk to a gur-
Thursday, then walked on ney so paramedics could
and fired at the bus, hitting take him to the hospital,
Stark, authorities said. said Kenneth Price, presi-
"I ducked down really quick dent of Amalgamated
for some cover, did like a Transit Union Local 587,
two-second assessment of which represents drivers.
my injuries and figured — Stark has worked for the
well, I can breathe, I can transit agency seven years
think, I can see, and I can and "acted heroically in the
talk," Stark said from his hos- face of extreme adversity
pital room. "So for me that to protect his passengers,"
was enough to go, 'OK, said King County Execu-
we're getting out of here. tive Dow Constantine said
I've gotta get these people has worked for King County
out of here.'" Metro for seven years.
The gunman, identified Stark, the woman who was
in jail records as Tad Mi- shot and the suspect were