BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County School District (BCSD) will not run certain school buses Wednesday morning amid an ongoing search for a fugitive in the Francis Marion National Forest near Huger.

Over 100 law enforcement officers including units from the FBI are searching an area near Halfway Creek Road and South Hampton Drive for Michael Burham, who is wanted on murder and rape charges out of New York.

The search area is currently shut down to traffic.

As the search continues, BCSD has decided not to run school buses that normally go through the area: Buses 403 and 405 at Cainhoy and Philip Simmons schools.

BCSD sent the following message to parents Tuesday night:

“Good evening parents and guardians, 

Due to the continued law enforcement activity in the Cainhoy/Huger area, and out of an abundance of caution for student safety, bus 403 and bus 405 serving Cainhoy Elementary, Philip Simmons Elementary, Philip Simmons Middle, and Philip Simmons High will not operate tomorrow morning, Wednesday, May 24. The District will not plan to operate bus 403 and bus 405 tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday, May 24, unless and until law enforcement confirms that it is safe to operate buses in the Cainhoy/Huger area. 

Parents and guardians in the Huger/Cainhoy area are asked to make plans to provide transportation for students assigned to bus 403 and bus 405 until further notice. 

If you are unable to transport your child to school, please contact your child’s school.”

The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office said that it plans to continue the search overnight Tuesday until Burham is located and taken into custody.