Shakopee police said a 45-year-old man from Savage who was a lone passenger in a Metro Mobility bus was hit by a bullet Monday afternoon.
Police Chief Jeff Tate said investigators don't know whether the shot was fired accidentally or intentionally. It was a small-caliber bullet, he said.
The bus was on Stagecoach Road near Hwy. 169 when the bullet hit the rear driver's side of the bus; the victim was sitting on the opposite side of the bus. The man was alert and conscious when police arrived, Tate said. He was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. There was no update or his condition by Monday evening.
Investigators gathered evidence at the shooting scene Monday afternoon. A State Patrol helicopter circled the area, and police did a walking search of an open field and a wildlife refuge where hunters have been found in the past.
One person in the area reported hearing a single gunshot, Tate said, but several others didn't hear anything.
The "investigation is still in its infancy," Tate said. Police from Shakopee, Savage and Metro Transit are looking for a suspect and reviewing video footage.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything to call 952-233-9400 or text the word SPDTIPS and the information to 847411.
ROCHELLE OLSON PAT PHEIFER
