ST. LOUIS, MO  (November 21, 2025) — A St. Louis judge sentenced Everett Stephenson, 40, to 20 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for firing a handgun into an occupied school bus in the City’s Academy neighborhood on June 22, 2023. A jury convicted him earlier this week of first-degree assault, two counts of armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon 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 when he believed a school bus had cut him off. As the bus made a right-hand turn, he fired a single round into the rear of the vehicle. Two adult employees and a six-year-old student were on board. The gunfire caused ballistic damage inside the cabin and created a grave and unjustifiable risk to everyone on the bus, though no one was physically injured.

Investigators recovered a bullet from a rear seat, matched it to a stolen Taurus handgun Stephenson discarded during his arrest, and gathered witness identifications and surveillance footage linking him to the shooting. Stephenson admitted he drove the vehicle during the incident and acknowledged possessing the firearm. He was on federal probation at the time and has prior convictions for distribution of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, a federal felon-in-possession offense, and DWI.

“This sentence reflects the profound danger the defendant created when he fired a gun at a school bus with a child on board,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “We are grateful no one was hurt, and we will continue to pursue accountability in cases where gun violence threatens the safety of children and families in our community.”

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.