An armed military trainee who hijacked a school bus in Florida released the children after becoming frustrated by their constant questioning, authorities have said. Jovan Collazo, 23, a trainee at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, boarded the bus on an interstate highway on Thursday and ordered the driver to divert to a nearby town.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told reporters that Collazo told the driver he did not want to hurt him but insisted on driving with the children on board. The suspect ordered all 18 children to the front of the bus, but the situation became frustrating for him when they overwhelmed him with questions.
“The kids were asking questions. ‘Are you gonna hurt us?’ ‘Are you a soldier?’ ‘Are you a bus driver?’ So they were being kids,” Sheriff Lott said. “I think that added to the frustration that he had.” After six minutes, Collazo let the driver and children off the bus before driving a short distance and abandoning the vehicle.
Sheriff Lott praised the bus driver, who had recently been trained to handle such situations, calling him an unsung hero. Footage from the bus showed a man holding a firearm and wearing a T-shirt with the word “ARMY” on the front. Collazo, who left Fort Jackson after only three weeks of training, was arrested and charged with 19 counts of kidnapping, armed robbery, and other felonies.
