Ten Wyandotte High School students were aboard when gunfire damaged the bus, including a window, but none was injured.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A man was killed and a school bus carrying 10 high school students was struck by gunfire Monday morning in Kansas City, Kansas, leaving the bus damaged but all of the students unharmed, according to police and the school district.
Kansas City, Kansas, police were called at about 6:39 a.m. Sept. 21 to the area of North 18th Street and Longwood Avenue after reports of a shooting. Officers found an adult man suffering from gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. During the shooting, a Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools bus traveling through the area was also hit. Police said no suspect was in custody in the initial hours of the investigation.
The bus was carrying 10 students headed to Wyandotte High School when the gunfire struck, according to information provided by the school district. District officials said the bus was damaged in at least three areas, including a window. Spectrum News reported that the window was shattered. Despite the damage, police and district officials said none of the students aboard was physically injured.
The shooting happened near North 18th Street and Longwood Avenue, just south of Quindaro Boulevard. Police did not say that the bus or its passengers were intentionally targeted. The department described the bus as traveling through the area when it was inadvertently struck by gunfire. Investigators have not publicly released details explaining what led to the fatal shooting or how many people may have been involved.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools contacted parents and guardians after the incident, district spokesperson Markl Johnson said in a statement reported by local media. Students were given the option of continuing to school or going home. Eight of the students were picked up by their parents, while district staff transported the remaining two to school.
The damaged bus remained near the scene while law enforcement continued its investigation. The district arranged for another bus to handle the route later in the day so students who normally relied on it would still have transportation home. District officials also requested that a member of the school system’s police force follow the replacement bus during the afternoon route.
The district said counseling would be available at school for students affected by the shooting. The measures came after what began as an ordinary morning trip to school unexpectedly became part of an active homicide scene. Authorities did not report any injuries to the bus driver or other people aboard the bus.
The man killed in the shooting had not been publicly identified in the initial police information released Monday. Officers found him after responding to the intersection shortly before 6:40 a.m. Police have released few details about the circumstances surrounding his death and have not publicly identified a motive or announced whether investigators believe the shooting involved people who knew one another.
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department’s Major Case Unit is leading the homicide investigation. Police said no suspect was in custody when the initial reports were issued. Authorities asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline as investigators work to determine what happened and identify whoever was responsible.
Author note: Last updated September 22, 2026.