Someone has been firing pellet guns at shuttle buses carrying Apple and Google employees, and Silicon Valley police want to catch them red-handed.
With this in mind, the California Highway Patrol has resorted to using decoy buses with undercover cops on board, ready to catch the perpetrator(s). Local authorities have also asked for assistance from the FBI for this investigation.
Decoy Buses Along The I-280
At least 20 shootings have been reported in the Bay Area since January, targeting charter buses. Five of those carried Google and Apple employees who have to commute to and from work.
According to a new report from ABC7, the decoy buses with undercover cops are the latest attempt to catch the person(s) behind the series of BB gun shootings on the I-280 corridor. It might just be someone having fun, but it can have serious consequences.
The CHP hopes that the perpetrator(s) will fire at the decoy bus so that the undercover officers would be able to catch them in the act.
Ernest Sanchez, the commander of the CHP's Golden Gate Division, says that the undercover agents on the bus will be on alert for any damage to the bus and check the angle at which the projectile is coming in order to determine the perpetrators' location. The FBI has agreed to help with the case.
Public Safety Risk
CHP officer John Fransen has confirmed to Business Insider that the shooter is using a pellet gun, commonly referred to as a BB gun, to fire metal balls at the charter buses.
"Anytime you shoot a projectile at a moving vehicle, it's a risk," says Fransen. "That does pose a risk to public safety and we are taking this very seriously."
In addition to decoy buses, the police are also using unmarked cars to roam the area between Cupertino and Woodside, and they have a description of the car thought to be involved in the shootings. Sanchez notes that the firings have damaged the windows and the exterior of the buses.
A $10,000 Reward For Relevant Information
The agency is also asking for help from the public to catch the one(s) behind these attacks, and are offering a hefty $10,000 reward for relevant information that leads to an arrest.
Statewide, particularly in the Bay Area, officers received instructions to ask questions when interacting with the public, in case someone saw something while riding along the I-280 corridor.
Sanchez is sending a clear message to the shooter(s), pledging to find, catch, and prosecute them to the full extent of the law.
