Utah School Bus Driver Told Students She'd 'Shoot Them' for Protesting Missed Turn

A Utah school bus driver who told elementary students she'd "shoot them" if another one questioned her driving has led the district to condemn and investigate the incident.

"One more person says 'Where are we going?,' I'm going to shoot them," the driver is overheard saying in a video obtained and broadcast by FOX 13 News in Salt Lake City. "OK, now listen — I missed the stop; I'm trying to turn around. Do you understand? OK. Sit down and be quiet."

The comments were captured on video shot Friday by a Dry Creek Elementary School student aboard the bus and forwarded to the TV station by the student's parent, the station reported.

The Alpine School District, in Saratoga Springs, responded by placing the unidentified driver on administrative leave pending an investigation.

"We strongly condemn any threatening action or language directed toward others," the district says in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "We expect all employees to create safe and nurturing environments free of verbal or physical threats. Appropriate action will be taken to ensure this matter is addressed and not repeated."

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RELATED: There's a School Bus Driver Shortage in the U.S. -- and One District is Offering $4,000 to Sign On

Also last week in Utah, a student filmed video of a separate incident involving a bus driver in the Tooele County School District, FOX 13 reported.

"The video footage shows the substitute driver making a wrong turn, and students alerting her of the error," a district spokesperson says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. "Soon after, she becomes frustrated and begins to scream at the students that she is going to turn around and to 'shut up.'"

"It was apparent the students were trying to be helpful, and her response was not acceptable or conducive to our school district values," the spokesperson adds. "The substitute driver has since been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident."

Both incidents occurred as school districts from Alaska to Hawaii struggle to find and retain school bus drivers.

One district, in Wayne, N.J., is trying to fill its openings as the new school year begins by offering a starting salary of $29 to $31 per hour with medical benefits for the first year, Superintendent Mark Toback told NJ.com.

"Finding bus drivers is a big issue here and elsewhere. In our case, we still need about 10 drivers to bring us to full capacity," Toback said, the outlet reported.

"We don't see the situation improving anytime soon," he added.

A July survey of school and district administrators nationwide by the EdWeek Research Center found that 86 percent said they lacked enough applicants to fill open bus driver positions, Education Week reported. And 79 percent said the number of applicants for those spots had dropped from the previous year.

The unmet need is an outgrowth of district hiring struggles during the pandemic, as jobs go unfilled across a variety of areas.

"A lot of times, people would choose driving a school bus as something to do in retirement," said Kim Powell, chief operations officer for Charlottesville City Schools, reported Virginia Public Media. "And with the pandemic, a lot of retirees reconsidered if that was the best type of work for them to be doing."

In Indiana, Washington Township Schools Superintendent Dr. Nikki Woodson sent a video to parents in an effort to explain the bus driver shortage, reported NBC station WTHR.

"Unfortunately, even after record high raises the past two years after incentive packages being offered after covering all training fees, after competitive wages and loyalty stipends, we are still unable to fill these positions," Woodson said.