A Sentinel teenager is facing serious felony charges after allegedly brandishing a firearm near a school bus carrying students.
Peyton Taylor Scott, 18, is facing grave charges in Custer County District Court. He has been charged with possession of a firearm after delinquent adjudication and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, both felony offenses.
The incident occurred on February 24, 2025, when authorities say Scott was seen waving a black Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol while riding as a passenger in a white van. The vehicle reportedly drove alongside a Merritt Public Schools bus near Interstate 40. According to the bus driver, the suspect, who was wearing a black ski mask and sunglasses, menacingly waved the firearm while making direct eye contact with those on board.
“I feared for my life and the lives of my students,” the bus driver stated in a police report, adding that the students were visibly shaken and immediately began calling their parents.
Authorities later located the suspect’s vehicle, a 2012 Chevrolet Express, in Weatherford, where officers conducted a felony traffic stop. Both the driver and Scott were detained. Police recovered the unloaded firearm in the vehicle’s center console, along with the ski mask described by witnesses.
During questioning, Scott admitted to having the gun but claimed he was “just being dumb” and “playing around with it.” He stated that he had borrowed the firearm from a friend and recalled passing the school bus earlier that day.
Scott, who has a prior juvenile record for burglary, was taken into custody before being released from Custer County Jail. If convicted, he faces a significant sentence, up to 10 years in prison for each felony charge.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.