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In Dutchess County, first responders in the City of Poughkeepsie responded to a stretch of Forbus Street shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 7, where there were reports of shots fired in the area.
At the scene, police said that investigators recovered multiple shell casings in the area of 20 Forbus Street, with witnesses describing a person who ran from the scene as a potential suspect.
The initial police investigation found that a school bus may have been the target, but the City of Poughkeepsie School District later clarified that was not the case after speaking with Police Capt. Richard Wilson.
According to the district, a bus driver reported seeing someone firing shots in the vicinity to his dispatcher, then left the scene to ensure the children were safe. That information was then relayed to the police, prompting the initial confusion.
“The Poughkeepsie City School District reached out to the parents of the students on the bus, which was transporting a few students from Morse & Kreiger Elementary Schools and additional supports will be provided to those students as-needed to help them through the incident,” Schools Superintendent Eric Jay Rosser said in a statement.
“This morning, as the bus arrived at Morse, the entire school was outside clapping and cheering in support of the driver and students.”
Wilson noted that following the incident, officers would be patrolling the area and “highly-trafficked” pedestrian corridors at both dismissal and arrival times.
The incident remains under investigation by both the school district and police. Anyone with information has been asked to contact the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department’s confidential tip line by calling (845) 451-7577.
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