It was a dispute over a $2.50 bus fare. Now a bus driver is dead and 3 teens are charged.
The three accused teens are being charged as adults, officials say.
Three juvenile suspects linked to the fatal shooting of a Georgia bus driver are now in police custody, officials say.
Leroy Ramos, a 47-year-old driver, was shot multiple times on Friday night amid an argument over refusing to pay the $2.50 fare, according to a MARTA press release.
The incident reportedly happened around 6:30 p.m. at a station in Decatur, a city located six miles east of Atlanta.
Two juveniles − who were not publicly identified due to their age − were arrested that evening in connection to the shooting.
All the teens are facing murder and being charged as adults.
A third suspect turned themselves in on Monday, days after the shooting, according to local outlets Fox 5 and Atlanta News First.
Shooting was captured on video; bus driver was a new employee
Footage obtained by WSB-TV shows the dispute between Ramos and the teenagers. At one point, several gunshots could be heard in the background.
"MARTA is devastated by the murder of bus operator Leroy Ramos, a new employee and ATU member who had already made an impact on his fellow operators," a MARTA spokesperson told several local outlets in a statement.
The statement continued: "MARTA has a strict de-escalation policy designed to protect operators from violence that includes not engaging with customers beyond the scope of their position as bus operator and leaving enforcement of rules to MARTA Police."
Paste BN reached out to MARTA police for information.
Remembering Leroy Ramos
According to Fox 5, Ramos recently started working for MARTA in October. He is survived by his wife and three children. A GoFundMe created for the family has raised over $10,000.
"Our family is enduring this senseless act of violence firsthand and mourns the loss of a soul that was precious and so priceless to us, 3 days into the new year," the fundraiser said. "We allowed the stages of grief to sink in, and we are raging for a change, not for violence! Every loss isn’t a loss; it is a lesson, an experience that we can gain something from, and the time is now."
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.