Gunshot Fired on Occupied GoRaleigh Bus, Four Suspects Flee Scene

A gunshot fired inside an occupied GoRaleigh bus at the 6100 block of Giles Street near Deep Hollow Drive in northeast Raleigh left no passengers injured Friday morning, but the violence rattled riders and drivers who say the incident is part of a deepening safety crisis across the city's transit system.

Raleigh police responded just before noon on March 27 after three people boarded the bus, located and confronted another passenger, and escalated the dispute into a physical fight. During the struggle, someone produced a firearm and one round discharged. All four people fled the bus before officers arrived on scene. As of Tuesday, no arrests have been made and no suspects have been publicly identified. Detectives are actively working to locate them.

Eight-year GoRaleigh operator Natalie Brown spoke out in the aftermath, saying the driver of the Giles Street bus was visibly shaken. "I spoke with the operator," Brown said. "She was shook up, which anyone will be. It's scary knowing that that bullet could have hit anybody." Brown, who drives thousands of the city's transit-dependent commuters each week, said anxiety runs constant. "We never know what could happen to us if we make it home or not," she said.

Friday's shooting was the third violent incident involving a GoRaleigh vehicle in roughly two weeks. Earlier in March, a GoRaleigh bus traveling along Garner Road was struck by gunfire around 8:30 p.m.; three passengers were on board and none were injured in that case either. No arrest has been made in the Garner Road shooting.

GoRaleigh carries tens of thousands of passengers daily. The Raleigh Police Department's TRACE unit, launched in late 2025 with a focus on transit safety, maintains a presence at the GoRaleigh Station on South Blount Street downtown, where city data shows 112 violent crimes occurred in 2025 alone, 96 of them classified as assaults. Brown said that concentration of resources at the station leaves neighborhood routes exposed. "I think we need more support from RPD," she said. "I'm not sure about their resources, but their presence will help a lot more."

GoRaleigh bus operations are managed through the private contractor RATP Dev USA. A company spokesperson did not respond to questions about how RATP Dev coordinates with Raleigh police or what security training operators receive.

Anyone with dash-cam footage, surveillance video, or direct knowledge of the Giles Street incident is asked to contact Raleigh Police Department detectives. Witnesses to any suspicious activity on GoRaleigh routes can also submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers of Raleigh at 919-834-HELP.

The Raleigh Police Department has not released a description of the four people being sought, and the investigation remains open.