Pasco School Bus Driver’s Name Is Released After Fatal Stabbing

Pasco Police has released the name of the Pasco school bus driver that was fatally stabbed on Friday.

Our condolences go out to the family of Richard Lenhart, who was fatally killed in a school bus altercation on Friday.

Lenhart was 72.

A man boarded the Pasco District school bus and stabbed him as children were getting on the bus at Longfellow Elementary School in Pasco near 9th and Shoshone around 3 PM on Friday afternoon.

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No children were harmed in the stabbing. The bus did jump a curb and crash into some bushes during the incident but no children were harmed. Pasco Police were on sight within moments and arrested the stabbing suspect. The suspect's name hasn't been released at the time of this writing.

The Pasco School District posted this message on their Facebook page concerning the incident:

It is with a heavy heart that I write to you this evening. Pasco Police Department shared information at a press conference earlier tonight that one of our bus drivers was assaulted today and died from his injuries. We are devastated by the tragic loss of one of our own. Our focus right now is on supporting our students and staff who are deeply impacted by this tragedy.

Counselors will be available over the weekend and next week to provide support for students and staff. Events like these can trigger strong and unexpected emotional reactions. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor or principal if you or your child need support.
We are deeply saddened by the events of today. As our community processes these events, please keep a watchful eye on each other and reach out if you need us.

Sincerely,
Michelle Whitney
Pasco School District Superintendent

The incident is still under investigation and we'll update this article as we get more details. You can read more details on the incident here.