UPDATE (Sept. 27 12:00 PM): Pasco Police and the Franklin County Coroner’s Office will be giving a press release with more information on this at 1:30pm.
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PASCO, WA – A school bus driver, Richard Lenhart, 72, was stabbed at Longfellow Elementary in Pasco Friday afternoon.
Pasco Police tells NBC Right Now that an older adult male stabbed the bus driver however it is unclear whether or not the bus driver was driving at the time he was stabbed. Children were on the bus at the time of the stabbing but no children were injured.
When Police arrived the bus was found crashed into bushes on the side of the road. The adult male is in custody so there is no threat to the public at this time. The bus driver was taken to the hospital where he died of his injuries.
In a statement from Pasco School District Superintendent Michelle Whitney expressed her deepest condolences
“It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this evening. Pasco Police Department shared information at a press conference earlier tonight that one of our bus drivers was assaulted today and died from his injuries. We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own. Our focus right now is on supporting our students and staff who are deeply impacted by this tragedy.”
School counselors were on site over the weekend and this week to help children cope with this trauma. Whitney encourages any parents or teacher concerned about a child to please notify counselors immediately.
This is a developing story, which means information could change. We are working to report timely and accurate information as we get it.
