Early on Sunday, March 30, two passengers were fatally shot following a confrontation with a Miami-Dade Transit bus driver, as reported by police authorities.
The event unfolded around 3 a.m., at the junction of Miami Gardens Drive and Northwest Seventh Avenue in Miami Gardens, Florida, where officers found two men suffering from gunshot wounds.
The individuals were identified as Lonnie Stephenwade Harley, 44, and Ejaash Bail Carter, 46.
A witness informed Local 10 News that the second individual, an innocent bystander, was probably struck by a stray bullet.
“This was a disturbance that took place between the driver and the victims,” stated Diana Delgado, spokesperson for the Miami Gardens Police Department. “I don’t think the community needs to be frightened. At this time we don’t have the full information.”
The injured men were taken in critical condition to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries, according to officials.
Reports suggest that a dispute arose between the bus driver and the passengers, during which the driver fired a weapon, striking the two men.
Subsequent information revealed that the altercation began when the driver declined to let a man board the bus with a Citi bike he suspected to be stolen. When the passenger reached into a bag, the driver shot him and another passenger.
Witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots. “I heard six shots,” said a local resident known as Wave God, who spoke to media at the scene.
The vicinity around the shopping plaza was secured by Miami Gardens police as they gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses throughout the morning. The bus involved remained central to the investigation.
The bus driver was detained for questioning. He was placed on administrative leave and was expected to be dismissed from his position. The driver, identified as Oshane Griffiths, 30, resigned amid termination proceedings.
Juan Mendieta, a representative for Miami-Dade’s Department of Transportation and Public Works, informed CBS News Miami that carrying firearms for self-defense is against policy for county bus drivers.
The Metrobus incident remains under investigation, with the Department of Transportation and Public Works fully cooperating with law enforcement, as outlined in a statement from Miami-Dade Transit, reported by WTSP.
County Commissioner Eileen Higgins, chair of the county’s transportation committee, expressed her sorrow over the fatalities.
The incident occurred on Miami-Dade bus number 77, which operates overnight between Miami Gardens and the Government Center transit station in downtown Miami.
According to WSVN, a witness named Guilleume Lageur, who works near the bus stop, said, “There was an argument. I hear ‘weh, weh, weh, weh,’ and after a while, I hear the gun bust,” he told reporters.
The driver was arrested, but no charges have been filed as of Sunday. Preliminary statements from police indicate the passengers did not shoot at the driver.
This incident has raised concerns about the safety of public transportation. The Miami Gardens Police Department’s Homicide Unit is continuing its investigation.
