Alexandria, Louisiana

March 28, 2014

I was on the Rapides Parish School Bus, like I am every morning. The bus picked me up at 8:05 on Bolton Ave. There were six other kids on the bus as well. I know all their faces, but I don’t remember all their names. 

Our bus driver, Johnny, was driving the bus as usual. He stopped at Mason Street around 8:10 to pick up more kids. When Johnny stopped, an old white guy got on the bus. He was wearing camo clothes and carrying several handguns. He had messy, thinning grey hair and dark eyes. His hands shook, and he had a cough. He must have been my grandpa’s age, around 5ft 8 and 175 lbs.

When I saw him get on the bus, I dialled 911 on my cell, but I didn’t talk cause I didn’t want to make trouble. I was sitting three seats back so I could hear the guy talking. He told Johnny that he tried to take two boys off the bus. He pointed at the Rush brothers, Sam and Brandon. But Johnny just told him no. Sam and Brandon were sitting across the aisle from me; they could hear the old guy and Johnny arguing. We all could.

The old man started to get angry, and he pointed a gun at Johnny. I heard him say that if Johnny didn’t let him take Sam and Brandon, he would have to kill Johnny. The old man started to walk towards our seats, but Johnny stood up to stop him. 

That’s when the guy shot Johnny. He shot Johnny 5 times in the chest. It was like slow motion; I saw Johnny take each bullet. Where we were sitting, we could only see the back of his head, so we didn’t see any blood or anything until he fell onto the floor of the bus. 

Kids were screaming throughout the bus. The little girl, Molly, sitting in the first seat, was crying. The old guy grabbed her by the arm and picked her up. Molly was about 6, I guess, with brown pigtails. She was a little white girl in long pants and a kitty T-shirt. The old guy was yelling something about killing all of us as he took Molly off the bus. 

I watched him out the bus window. He got into a green van with Molly and drove away toward Highway 49.

All the kids on the bus were scared and crying. I wanted off that bus so bad. It was awful; I think most of the kids were afraid they were going to die. I had to step over Johnny’s body. Some of us accidentally stepped in his blood. 

I had forgotten I had called 911. I noticed my cell in my hand and heard the 911 lady trying to talk to me. That’s when I told her what happened. I stood on the corner of Mason St and Bolton Ave in the middle of all these screaming kids. 

Sincerely,
Travis Wilkes