$10K reward offered in case of tech shuttle BB gun attacks

A Bay Area charter bus carrier is offering a $10,000 reward to find whoever has been firing a BB gun at buses shuttling tech workers up and down the Peninsula over the past couple of months.

Storer Coachways put up the money after seven instances where buses — not all operated by the company — were damaged by BB shots while traveling along Interstate 280 between San Francisco and San Jose, according to the California Highway Patrol.

While seven incidents have been confirmed, Sgt. Robert Nacke said investigators are vetting additional reports of damage to other buses to assess whether they match the pattern of shootings that took place in January and February.

The BB shootings shattered windows or damaged the luggage compartment doors of the buses, some which were traveling on roads when they were shot at, Nacke said.

No injuries were reported in the attacks, but Nacke warned that one well-targeted shot could create a disaster because of their size and the fact that they’re operating during well-traveled commute hours.

“We’ve been really lucky that the windows broken were toward the middle or back of the bus. Imagine if it hit a driver’s side window and startled or injured the driver,” he said. “That could be a catastrophe, and we want to avoid that.”

Five of the attacks were surfaced Jan. 17 when windows were shattered on buses shuttling Apple and Google employees on I-280 between Highway 85 and Woodside Road. On Jan. 29, a bus sustained a shattered window when it was hit while on I-280 south of Magdalena Avenue, according to the CHP.

Investigators have said they did not have any evidence that the shooter or shooters knew whose company’s workers were inside the buses that were targeted.

Storer referred a media inquiry to the CHP. Nacke lauded the company for stepping up with the reward.

“We appreciate that Storer has come forward with reward money, which hopefully will help us bring these crimes to a stop,” he said.

Anyone with information about the bus attacks can contact 800-TELL-CHP. Anonymous tips can be sent via private message at the CHP Golden Gate division’s Facebook page at facebook. com/CHPGoldenGate.