A Florida bus driver shot two of his passengers dead after pulling a gun during a dispute with a rider, according to authorities.
The Miami Gardens Police Department told local broadcasters that it was investigating a shooting on a Miami-Dade Transit bus in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Investigators say that the driver allegedly became embroiled in an argument with a passenger on board the bus and then opened fire, hitting two people.
"We don't know why he fired his weapon. We know that there was a disturbance going on inside the bus," a spokesperson for the police department told NBC Miami.
The Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works said that while it works to keep all employees protected from violence, it has an "absolute prohibition" on drivers carrying weapons on the job.
"Yesterday's incident aboard a Metrobus remains under investigation, and the Department is fully cooperating with law enforcement," a spokesperson told The Independent.
Both of the people shot were rushed to the hospital by helicopter, but did not survive. The driver has not yet been named, and no charges have been announced so far.
According to one witness interviewed by WPLG News, who was on board during the incident, the dispute began when the driver refused to allow a man to get on board carrying a bike that he believed to be stolen.
Miami passengers are not allowed to bring bikes on board buses, but must instead use the bike rack on the front of each bus.
When the man threatened the driver and reached into his bag, the driver allegedly drew his gun and fired six times, hitting both the man with the bike and another passenger who was not involved in the dispute.
Police have not said whether anyone other than the driver was carrying a weapon.
The Transport Workers Union Local 291 branch, which represents Miami-Dade drivers, called it a "heartbreaking situation for everyone involved".
"We are devastated by [these] tragic events... and extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives," the union said. "The safety of both our operators and the riding public is and always will be our highest priority."
