He was quickly pointed out and was arrested without incident. After the attack, he had headed back toward that vehicle, but then returned to be within sight of the scene as officers were arriving. Davis had driven to the scene in a private vehicle, had parked nearby, and approached the area of the school on foot. The suspect did not need transportation to Road 100. The suspect stopped the attack and jumped off the moving bus as it approached the tree. The bus lurched forward over a curb line and a sign, stopping when it hit some landscaping and a tree. The attack and the driver’s struggle caused the driver’s foot to come off the brake. Once the driver told the man that it does not go to Road 100, the man turned to leave, then appeared to arm himself with a knife, turn, and suddenly attack the driver, who was still belted into his seat. On an active street in the middle of the afternoon, in view of others, opening the door to see what the man wanted would not normally be considered a risky action. The bus driver opened the doors, presumably to see what the man wanted, and the man stepped in, empty-handed, to ask if the bus went to Road 100. At this preliminary point in the investigation, the “why” would be speculation.Īs for the “how”, it appears that the suspect approached the stopped bus just after students had finished boarding. Residents of The City of Pasco and parents of school children will want to know why and how this attack could occur. The assault took place in front of witnesses and was recorded on security video. Our partners at the Pasco School District immediately stepped in to offer counseling and care to the students at Longfellow, members of the school district, and to their own community of drivers, educators, and support staff within the school district, who have been deeply affected by this sudden loss within their work family. The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office is reviewing the case and will be filing appropriate charges. The suspect, Davis, was booked into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for Murder First Degree and remains in custody. We can take some small comfort in the knowledge that Lenhart was aware that the children left in his charge were safe and being cared for after the attack. At the scene Lenhard had still been responsive to witnesses, officers, and medics. Sadly, this assault involved a knife, leaving Lenhart severely injured where he ultimately succumbed to his wounds after being treated at the scene and transported to a regional trauma center. Davis, a 34-year-old City of Richland resident, was taken into custody at the scene by responding Pasco officers. The assault occurred near Longfellow Elementary School as Lenhart was preparing to drive thirty-five students home. Residents of the City of Pasco should be well aware of the tragic assault that occurred Friday afternoon, September 24th, of a Pasco School District bus driver, 72-year-old Richard Lenhart.
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