Shots Fired at Bus Carrying Edison High Basketball Team

A bus carrying the Edison High School boys’ basketball team back from its Southern Section 5-A playoff game against St. Anthony in Long Beach Thursday was shot at and hit several times, according to Jon Borchert, Edison coach. There were no injuries reported.

Borchert said the bus was on 7th Street in Long Beach headed toward the 405 freeway when he saw a compact car pull alongside the driver’s side of the bus. Borchert said he saw two men, wearing St. Anthony letterman’s jackets, in the car, one of whom pointed a handgun at the bus and fired several shots.

“The next thing I saw was a bunch of glass spray into the bus,” he said.

Borchert said the car sped off, and the bus continued back to Edison in Huntington Beach. Borchert said he filed a report with the California Highway Patrol after returning to Edison.

Trisha Wertner, an Edison statistics keeper who was also on the bus, said the team was informed after the game that several fights had broken out among spectators in the St. Anthony parking lot and said the team was told to hurry onto the bus by school officials.

Edison had upset St. Anthony, 69-62.

Wertner said several cars pulled up to the bus before the shooting incident, shouting and making obscene gestures. Borchert said he saw several cars pull up to the bus and throw cups of ice and other debris at the bus.

Wertner said that during the shooting she heard three “loud pops.”

“Then I felt some glass hit me,” Wertner said. “Coach Borchert screamed for everyone in the bus to get down. There was glass on the seats. I counted six holes in the windows.”