This story was posted on: 3:25 p.m., Monday, Jan. 09, 2017.
As numerous schools in the Pine Hills area were on lockdown Monday when law enforcement officials were searching for police shooting suspect Markeith Loyd, the Orange County's bus drivers were using their training to keep students safe.
- School bus driver talks about picking up students during lockdown
- Bus driver to parents: 'Your kids are safe'
A bus driver with the school district told News 13 that when the lockdown was announced early Monday, he was told to pick up middle school students and take them to an undisclosed school within the district, away from the Pine Hills area.
Loyd — who is wanted in the December shooting death of his ex-girlfriend and is accused in the fatal shooting of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on Monday — was at large and considered armed and dangerous.
"They told us not to go to the (students') schools," the driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said the bus dispatch told him.
Wanda Cocco, a media relations administrative specialist with Orange Schools, confirmed with News 13 that bus drivers were asked to go to schools outside of Pine Hills for the students' safety.
There were 25 students on his bus, but the driver said the children were not afraid, just happy they did not have to go to school. Although, he said he was a little stressed and nervous about the ordeal.
There were eight other buses at the undisclosed school that the bus driver was told to go to, but there were an unknown number of school buses at other schools. He said that the students were provided lunch at the schools they were taken to.
However, the driver wanted to give a message to the students' parents.
"Your kids are safe. We are watching them," he said.