3 shot, including RTA driver, during argument aboard bus; 2 in custody

Dayton police and medics responded around 2:30 p.m. to the shooting reported at the hub on East Third and South Jefferson streets.

“The initial indication is this incident started as an argument and physical fight on the bus and escalated into gunfire,” Dayton police Lt. Jason Hall said.

Detectives accessed video footage from the bus and got a high-quality image of two people who needed to be interviewed as part of the investigation.

Two suspects were taken into custody on East Sixth Street shortly after, Hall said, and were to be interviewed by detectives.

The bus driver and one of the individuals involved in the disturbance were among those shot, but none of the injuries were life-threatening, Hall said.

One of the people involved in the argument — who police said knew each other — pulled out a handgun. At the time, there were a few other passengers aboard the bus but it was nowhere near capacity, he said.

Hall said it is believed police found everyone involved in the shooting.

“It’s a horribly regrettable incident. An altercation leading to a situation … actually did result in serious injury to several individuals, but very certainly could have resulted in someone losing their life,” Hall said.

RTA’s CEO Robert Ruzinsky released a statement Tuesday thanking police and medics for their actions.

“RTA is thankful to the actions of the first responders who assisted our employee and eventually apprehended the suspects,” he said. “Their quick response, professionalism, and dedication made a difficult situation manageable. Our driver is expected to recover and our employees took care of our customers.”

The hub was closed for a couple of hours but reopened Tuesday evening.

We will continue to update this story as more information is available.