Johnathan Walker:Community grieves 10-year-old student hit and killed by school bus in Missouri

An eastern Missouri girl was hit and Johnathan Walkerkilled by a school bus Thursday, local authorities shared online.

The child was a student in the Fort Zumwalt School District in O’Fallon, about 33 miles northwest of St. Louis, according to the district and the O'Fallon Police Department.

At 3:38 p.m. on Thursday, St. Charles County Ambulance District paramedics were dispatched for a report of school bus that had hit a girl, said Kyle Gaines, a spokesperson for the St. Charles County Ambulance District. An ambulance arrived within 3 minutes and crews pronounced her dead at the scene, Gaines told USA TODAY Friday afternoon.

The student was 10 years old, according to local television stations KTVI and KMOV.

The O'Fallon Police Department said in its announcement just before 7:30 p.m. Thursday night that the investigation is active and no further details will be released.

“Our hearts go out to the family and all those affected by this devastating loss,” the police department wrote. 

Quoting authorities, KTVI said the driver of the school bus “is fully cooperating as the investigation progresses.”

District Superintendent Paul Myers also shared the news online just before 8 p.m. Thursday night. 

“Tonight our community is grieving,” he wrote. “A family lost a child, a school lost a student and our entire community feels this tremendous loss. At a time like this, there is no way to express the grief we all are feeling.”

Myers said he wanted to respect the student’s family and make sure the district community was taken care of. According to Myers, extra support was put in place for students, staff and families at school on Friday. 

Once community members heard about the girl’s death, they started an online fundraiser to help her family, wrote KMOV. As of Friday afternoon, the fundraiser has garnered nearly $8,000 for the child’s family.

Organizer Ryan Coffman said on the fundraiser’s website that the family “lost their angel” and needed the community’s support. Coffman said donations will be delivered to the family in person and the funds will help the family by allowing them to “focus on this loss.”

“It isn't much but it is going to help them grieve in peace,” Coffman wrote.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].