In tragic news out of Miami today, a 15-year old boy has been charged with manslaughter and carrying a concealed weapon after a gun he pulled from his backpack went off and hit a 13-year old girl in the neck, killing her.
The incident occurred on the school bus, where Jordyn Howe allegedly wanted to show off the gun to his friends. The school bus, which was not equipped with surveillance cameras, was carrying eight other children. The victim, Lourdes Guzman, was airlifted to Miami Children’s Hospital, where she passed away.
The bus was just a few minutes away from Palm Glades Middle School when the shooting occurred, and the driver and students were taken in for questioning. Some parents picked their children up from school early once word got out, although the school didn’t make a formal announcement. The shock has permeated local residents, parents who say they might consider changing schools or even homeschooling. Others are mourning the loss of an innocent life at a time when other families are about to celebrate a holiday.
“I always take my daughter to and from school,” mom Sarah Baer said. “This is so heartbreaking especially right before Thanksgiving,” she said.