According to police, seven Georgia students, some as young as five, were arrested for allegedly attacking a 7-year-old classmate on a bus ride to school early this morning.
The alleged attackers, aged 5 to 14, were charged with battery for the vicious beating that occurred on April 18 while their bus was en route to Mattie Lively Elementary School in Statesboro, the Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
Police said they were notified of the heinous assault about a week later and identified the troubled students after reviewing the transport’s security footage, which showed the unruly group teaming up to attack the young child, according to WSAV.
“One child came over the seat and basically used his feet to stomp on this 7-year-old,” Captain Todd Hutchens told the outlet, describing it as a “violent attack.””Five-year-olds understand right from wrong. They are responsible just like adults and 14-year-olds. They know better than to start jumping on a child and hitting him or her with a hand, a fist, a book, or other objects.”
According to WTOC, the assault resulted in only minor bruising for the student.
Joey Edwin Jackson, 70, the bus driver, was also arrested after police discovered he did not stop the violent rampage, pull the bus over, or report the incident to the school district.
“The bus driver did not pull over,” Hutchens stated, according to the outlet.
“The bus driver did not call the bus garage and say, ‘Hey, I have an incident on the bus; please send help.'” He continued driving to the school.
Jackson was charged with second-degree cruelty to children and failure to report child abuse, according to police. He was also fired from his position.
He was booked at Bulloch County Jail on April 30 and released the next day after posting a $15,000 bond, jail records show.
Police reported that the seven disruptive students had also been suspended from their respective schools.
Their cases will be heard in juvenile court.
“It is not going to be tolerated in Bulloch County Schools,” said Superintendent Charles Wilson.
“One thing we know is, we owe it to everyone in the community that when your child comes to school, your child is going to be in a safe environment where they can be treated well and learn.”