PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A fight between two men aboard a PSTA bus in Pinellas Park escalated into gunfire Sunday morning, sending the suspect fleeing to a nearby park where families were celebrating a child's birthday party — and leaving parents scrambling to protect their children.
According to the Pinellas Park Police Department, officers responded around 11:45 a.m. to the area of U.S. Highway 19 North and 49th Street after reports of a shooting on a PSTA bus.
WATCH: Man arrested after gunshot fired during fight aboard PSTA bus in Pinellas Park: PPPD
'If they have their guns out, something's clearly happening'
What started as a dispute on a bus quickly became a parent's worst nightmare at Mayor's Park at Freedom Lake.
Hannah Hayes had arrived with her 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, gift in hand, ready for a birthday celebration. Within moments, the peaceful Sunday morning turned into chaos.
"As soon as I saw them with their guns drawn, I said, 'This is enough. I'm not really willing to risk it. If it's nothing, then it's nothing, but I'm out of here.' If they have their guns out, something's clearly happening," Hayes said.
She made the split-second decision to grab her children and run — leaving her car behind.
"She just full-blown panic attack and was asking me, 'Mommy, are we going to die? Are we going to be OK? Are we going to die?'" Hayes recalled her daughter asking.
Hayes called her mother to pick them up nearby, getting her children as far away from the park as possible. Then, she picked up her phone and called the Tampa Bay 28 newsroom.
"Does anybody else know that this is happening and that this happened here? If I wasn't there today and this thing happened in my backyard so to speak, I would want to know," Hayes said.
What happened on the bus
Police said officers, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, located the suspect after he fled on foot from the bus into Mayor's Park at Freedom Lake. He was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators identified the suspect as 28-year-old Victor Lambert and the victim as 41-year-old Earltwan Grainger, both from Pinellas County.
Police said the two men were involved in an ongoing verbal dispute before Lambert boarded the bus. Investigators said the argument escalated when Lambert displayed a firearm.
According to police, Grainger began physically struggling with Lambert over the weapon, and the gun discharged inside the bus. No one was struck by the gunfire.
The altercation continued after the bus stopped on the shoulder of U.S. Highway 19 North, police said. Investigators said Lambert threatened Grainger with the firearm several times before running from the scene — about a half mile away to Freedom Lake Park, where families with young children were gathered.
"A deputy I think from the sheriff's office, come around the small building that I think was where the bathrooms were and was shouting for people to leave the area and he had his gun out," Hayes said.
'You see it on the news, it feels so far removed from you'
Grainger suffered minor injuries during the fight and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. After being released, he was arrested on an outstanding warrant, police said.
Lambert was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and improper exhibition of a firearm.
Investigators say both men knew each other — this was not a random act of violence. No one was hurt at the park or on the bus.
For Hayes, the experience was a jarring reminder that danger can strike anywhere, anytime.
"You see it on the news, it feels so far removed from you... and until you're in it, it's hard to really know," she said. "Going to the grocery store, going to a six-year-old's birthday party at the park, you have to know what's around you and have like a backup plan in the span of like milliseconds."
As she drove home with her children that day, Hayes replayed the moments in her head: "What did you do? Could you have done anything differently?"
Her answer: Trust your gut and protect your family first.
Share Your Story with Haley
Tampa Bay 28's Haley Zarcone lives and works in Manatee County. It’s her mission to connect with her neighbors and help them find answers to the issues they see every day.
.
Body cam video, court records reveal years of warning signs before Hillsborough deputies were shot
Christopher Dmuchowski wounded 2 deputies who responded to a domestic violence call in Ruskin. Records show warning signs dating back years.
