GREAT BEND -On March 3rd, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation informed the Barton County Sheriff’s Office that the Bureau had declined participation in the investigation into an alleged battery that occurred February 3rd on a Great Bend High School activity bus.

The KBI cited excessive caseload due to the shooting incident in Hesston, as well as a substantial current caseload.

“The school bus investigation is a high priority for the sheriff’s office and we are in the process of interviewing witnesses,” said Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir. “We are working to get all the information.”

The alleged assault was initially reported to the Saline County Sheriff, but their investigation showed that the incident was believed to have occurred in Barton County.

“This is not a short or predictable process,” said Bellendir. “The investigation is going to go where the investigation goes and if we have to follow more leads it will take longer,” he said.

As for an alleged assault that took place on an activities bus on February 6th, that case is now in the hands of the Ellsworth County Attorney.

Ellsworth County Sheriff Tracy Ploutz’s investigation into that incident resulted with four victims of battery, five suspects committing the battery, two victims of criminal restraint, and three suspects for the criminal restraint but no suspects of sexual assault.

The Ellsworth County Attorney says he has not filed charges yet and doesn’t know if or when they could be filed.