Prince George's County school bus stop shooting suspect turns himself into police

Police say the man suspected of shooting a woman at a school bus stop Tuesday morning in Prince George's County has tuned himself in. 42-year-old Roland Eugene Simms was placed in custody Wednesday morning. The shooting happened around 7 a.m. on Tuesday near Winthrop Street and Chester Street in Oxon Hill.

Prince George's County police initially said six students were at the bus stop when the shooting took place, but on Tuesday afternoon, Prince George's County Public Schools said there were 15 students at the bus stop at the time of the shooting. PGCPS said all of the kids who were there were Forest Heights Elementary School students. None of the students were hurt.

A parent whose 7-year-old son witnessed the shooting said he told her the man tried to snatch a girl from the bus stop, and the woman who was shot became involved in a physical altercation with the man before the shots were fired.

"They saw a man jump out of the bushes and try to grab one of the little girls, and then the lady was like, 'No, you are not going to take my kid,'" said the mother. "So he pushed her down and they started fighting and then they said they heard a gun go off."

She said the students were frightened, but not injured. "They started running towards my house and they were crying and everything, so I just took them in the house," she said.

The parent eventually drove seven of the students to Forest Heights Elementary School.

Authorities believe the shooting was domestic-related and that Simms and the woman knew each other.

Prince George's County police spokesperson Jennifer Donelan initially said Tuesday that police were not releasing the suspect's information because they do not want to jeopardize their investigation and because they do not believe he is a danger to the public.

Around 5:45 p.m., Prince George's County police released a photo of Simms.

"It's terrible," said parent Keith Grant. "It's traumatizing kids man. This is a really nice neighborhood. But it is really sad that kids got to deal with that, kids were running everywhere."

Grant said he knows the woman who was shot, but police said because she is a domestic violence victim, they do not want to release any information that would identify her, including her age and current condition. Police said she was shot once and grazed by a second bullet.

In a statement, a PGCPS spokesperson said officials were shocked at the news of the incident, and added that counselors and psychologists were on hand at the school Tuesday.

"Our focus is on reassuring students and easing parents' concerns," a spokesperson said.

There is no word on what charges Simms faces.