ST. LOUIS, MO (November 19, 2025) — A St. Louis jury found Everett Stephenson, 40, guilty of firing a handgun into an occupied school bus in the City’s Academy neighborhood on June 22, 2023. The jury found Stephenson guilty of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon under subsection 9 for shooting from a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a firearm, and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
On June 22, 2023, Stephenson became angry after believing a school bus cut him off while he drove a white Buick SUV. As the bus made a right-hand turn, he fired a single shot into the rear of the vehicle. The bus, which transported two adult employees and a six-year-old student, sustained ballistic damage to the back of the cabin. Officers later recovered a bullet from a rear seat. No one on board suffered injuries, but the gunfire created a substantial and unjustifiable risk to the child and adults.
Witnesses reported hearing the gunshot, observing the suspect vehicle, and hearing the driver admit he fired because he believed the bus cut him off. Multiple witnesses later identified Stephenson in photo lineups. Surveillance footage from nearby businesses showed the white Buick and captured Stephenson entering a store immediately after the shooting. Officers arrested him on July 11, 2023, after watching him discard a stolen Taurus handgun. Ballistic testing matched that firearm to the bullet recovered from the bus. Stephenson admitted he drove the vehicle during the incident and acknowledged possessing the handgun.
Stephenson has prior convictions for distribution of a controlled substance in 2014, unlawful use of a weapon in 2017, a federal felon in possession offense in 2019, and a misdemeanor DWI in 2018. He was on federal probation at the time of the shooting. His sentencing will be scheduled for a later date.
“The defendant’s decision to fire a gun at a school bus simply because he believed he had been cut off demonstrates an extreme disregard for human life,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “The verdict reflects the seriousness of his actions and the danger they created. Our office remains committed to ensuring accountability when violent conduct places children and families at risk.”
Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore, Violent Crime Unit Supervisor Adam Field, and Assistant Circuit Attorney Paris Bateman prosecuted the case.
The case number is 2322-CR01498-01.
For Immediate Release
For more information contact:
Amber Raub
Public Information Officer
St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office
rauba@stlouiscao.org
314-589-6233 (office)
314-312-9912 (cell)
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