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The gunman suspected of opening fire on a Florida bus — killing two and wounding two others — is a convicted felon with a lengthy rap sheet who was on probation.
Jamal Meyers, 34, is facing charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in Thursday’s shooting on a Broward County Transit bus in Fort Lauderdale.
“Additional charges are pending,” cops tweeted early Friday. “The motive in this case is still being investigated.”
One shooting victim was pronounced dead at the scene, while another died at a hospital. Three other people were injured when the bus drove into oncoming traffic after the shooting broke out, police said.
The chaos unfolded at about 2:30 p.m. as the bus was just a few blocks away from Fort Lauderdale police headquarters. The bus driver’s “quick actions” likely saved lives as she crashed into a taxi and a Mercedes-Benz SUV while plowing into the station, the Miami Herald reported.
Two victims who were wounded on the bus remained hospitalized Friday, according to the newspaper.
Meyers surrendered to cops after stepping off the bus, and a gun was recovered at the scene, police said. He remains held without bond Friday, online records show, and it’s unclear if he’s hired an attorney who could comment on his behalf.
Meyers is considered a serious habitual felon by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Court records cited by the Associated Press show he was sentenced last year for 10 crimes between 2017 and 2019.
But each conviction carried concurrent three-year sentences, so Meyers served just five months in state prison after getting credit for more than 800 days awaiting trial.
Meyers was ultimately released on Jan. 8 and put on probation until 2025, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported.
Meyers’ criminal history dates back to 2003 when he was charged at 15 with disrupting a school function. He was also arrested for robbery and grand theft as a teen, according to the newspaper.
With Post wires
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