An argument over a woman led to one man firing shots at another man near an intersection where elementary school students were getting off a bus, according to police.

Jerome Lee Barber, 28, of 11817 Aubreywood Drive in Charlotte, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, going armed to the terror of the public, possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a firearm inside city limits.

About 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Barber got out of a purple car and started shooting either at or near someone outside of a house at 401 W. East Ave., Police Chief Debra Duncan said.

The man then took off with two other men in the car. The Union County Sheriff’s Office stopped the car on Walkup Avenue, a police press release stated.

Bus 187 with Union County Public Schools was carrying 23 East Elementary students when the bus driver heard gunshots.

The bus stopped at the intersection of Scott Street and West East Avenue, about half a mile from Benton Heights Elementary School of the Arts, UCPS spokeswoman Luan Ingram said.

The driver claimed to see a weapon and backed the bus up to get farther away from the shooting.

No one shot at the bus and no students were hurt, Ingram said.

Jessie Hill, 9, was riding the bus at the time with his sister Hattie, 6.

“We hit the ground on the bus and the bus driver told the guys not to do it in front of the kids on the bus,” he said.

Jessie said he saw a handgun in one of the man’s hands and the men were cursing and fighting when the bus pulled up.

The driver called UCPS transportation officials from the bus radio, then dialed 911 from a cell phone, Adam Johnson, director for school transportation, said.

“She did the right thing,” Johnson said. “We’re really pleased that she was able to remain calm. ... Her main priority was making sure students were safe.”

Police officers quickly arrived on the scene, he said.

Johnson finished the route and dropped the students off at home. The bus driver stayed behind to give law enforcement officials eyewitness testimony.

Jessie and Hattie were about 25 minutes late getting home, said Chris Hill, their father.

UCPS did not release the driver’s name since her testimony is part of a police investigation.

Parents of the students on the bus were contacted through ConnectED, an automated message system through UCPS.

Duncan said a gun was later recovered but it was not found in the suspect’s car.

Barber was taken to the Union County Jail and placed under a $15,000 bond with a pending court date of Feb. 4.