4-Year-Old Injured After Stray Bullet Hits School Bus in Camden

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) – Police say a four-year-old was injured after a stray bullet struck a school bus with 27 children on board in Camden Thursday afternoon.

Camden County Police say the gunman opened fire on Phillips Street shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon, firing off as many as 14 rifle rounds toward the Centerville Housing Complex. Police say the gunman was a couple hundred feet away from the housing complex when a bus carrying day care students veered into the path of gunfire.

"At the time he did this firing a school bus was driving by. The school bus was struck with one round," said Chief Scott Thomson.

Twenty-seven three to five-year-olds were on board the bus when it was hit.

"The bullet went through one of the front windows up by the front, on the front passenger side of the bus and ended up lodging in the upper portion inside the bus up around where the driver's area is," said Thomson.

Police say a four-year-old suffered a minor injury. Officers believe drug activity spawned the shooting. The threat of young lives being lost in the process is making the hunt for the shooter even more intense.

"Help us get this individual off the street. Obviously this is a broad daylight shooting into a densely populated housing project as a school bus was going by," said Thomson.

The incident remains under investigation.

Police are offering a $20,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in this case.

Anyone with information is asked to call (215) 546-TIPS.