Video shows bus driver, passenger open fire on each other after argument

Dramatic video shows a bus driver and passengers opening fire on each other on a moving bus in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this month, following an argument that left both men seriously injured, transit authorities said.

The shooting, which began May 18 while others were onboard the bus, began after a passenger identified by authorities as Omarri Tobias got up while the vehicle was moving and asked the driver to let him off between stops, according to Charlotte Area Transit System officials.

The driver, David Fullard, told Tobias it would have to wait until the next designated stop and an argument ensued, said Brent Cagle, CATS' interim CEO.

In video of the incident released by CATS last week, the bus driver and passenger appear to have an exchange before Tobias can be seen pulling out a gun, with Fullard taking out a firearm just after.

The bullets can then be seen shattering a railing between the passenger and the driver. It was not immediately clear from the video who fired first. Both Tobias and Fullard were hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, but are now stable and expected to make full recoveries, Cagle said.

Tobias faces multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, he said.

It was not immediately clear if Fullard would face charges in connection with the incident.

RATP Dev, the third party operator of the city s buses, said it had parted ways with Fullard after he violated employee policy by carrying a firearm on the job. A number of bus drivers were not using any of a number of alarm systems available to them, according to WCNC. In a statement, he said it's standard procedure not to allow passengers off between bus stops, but said drivers can make an allowance if necessary.

In a statement, Harris, a lawyer for Fullard, said the bus driver had worked with CATS for nearly 20 years.

Harris said that Fullard is a long-term employee of the CATS bus system and has announced that RATP Dev has parted ways with the bus driver. He loves his job and he wants to continue to be there, and we want to make sure we address any issues that could come up related to this incident. Harris also added that bus drivers are being injured and assaulted while doing their jobs, and that incidents have been a continuing issue in Charlotte.

You have these incident that happen over and over again, where drivers are being assaulted, shot at, shot, or killed, Harris said. It creates a situation where drivers fear that they won t make it home. A CATS bus driver, Ethan Rivera, was shot in what authorities said was believed to be a road rage incident in February 2022. He died the next day of his injuries, WCNC quotes him as saying.