St. Paul man saves children and driver of fleeing school bus, receives $1,000 reward

Fast Read

Ebro Ahmed jumped on a moving school bus in St. Paul after noticing the driver was having a medical emergency. A local media outlet offered him $1,000 as a thank you.

Ebro Ahmed’s heroic act lasted just under 15 seconds on Monday.

The 27-year-old worked at one of his family’s convenience stores, Ya Bricks Snacks and Tobacco, in St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood at the time. Business was slow, so he took a break to kick a soccer ball outside.

That’s when he saw a school bus slowly passing by, with the driver appearing to have a medical emergency, and he jumped on board to help.

Store surveillance video shows the bus with an open door and a crossed arm extended in front of the corner store around 3:17 p.m. Ahmed is immediately seen taking action.

“I’m always aware of my surroundings, so if you drive around me twice, I’ll notice it,” Ahmed said.

Ahmed said he had never driven a bus before. He accidentally put the vehicle in reverse before putting it in neutral and applying the parking brake. He asked a student to call the police. A few minutes later, the officers arrived.

At first, he wasn’t sure if it was the right decision to make.

“Am I going to be arrested? » he asked himself. “You know, you jump on a bus. I don’t know if I’m thinking – maybe I read it wrong, and then the police come and I’m on the ground. Like I’m just really scared.”

The 19 students looked like middle schoolers, he said. Some returned home on foot. Another school bus then transported the remaining students.

No injuries were reported, St. Paul police said, and paramedics transported the driver for medical treatment. The driver was resting at home Wednesday, according to St. Paul Public Schools.

A SPPS spokesperson said the school’s mental health team checked in with students on Tuesday in case they had additional needs or would like to talk about the incident.

A man offered $1,000 as a thank you

To honor his courage, media creator and philanthropist Sheletta Brundidge surprised Ahmed at the store Thursday morning with a costumed Superman and a giant check for $1,000.

“You could have run inside, called 911 and let someone else do the job, but you actually took action like a real superhero,” Brundidge said.

“I want to put a little money in your pocket just to let you know that this community and so many other parents like me who have seen this and thought about their own children, we appreciate you,” Brundidge added.

Ahmed said he plans to use the reward to invest in his own window tinting business.

“I want to succeed. I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so ideas are always coming to my mind. My mind is never at rest, you know, I’m going to do something,” he said.

Ahmed attributes his speed to his Muslim faith

He appreciates the outpouring of support after his story made national news. But he downplays his heroism.

“The situation is crazy, but my reaction is 1,000 percent: Everyone would have done it,” he said.

Ahmed, who is originally from Eritrea but grew up in St. Paul, credits the Eritrean American youth organization Denden Sports Club and his Muslim faith with teaching him to act quickly.

“In my religion, they say one life equals all of humanity…and if you save one person, it’s like you save the whole world. So that’s kind of what I’m experiencing and obviously, you know, that’s the reason I jumped on that bus,” he said.

Despite his newfound fame, Ahmed continues to work at his family’s convenience store, where he says business has been slow in recent months.