A South Carolina school bus driver who stayed calm during a hijacking incident has spoken out saying the students should be praised for using their inquisitive nature to help fend off the gunman.

Kenneth Corbin, who is being hailed a hero, said it was actually the kids who diverted the attention of the hijacker which prompted the swiftness of their safety on May 6, CBS News reported.

"The kids were the ones who actually got the gentleman off of the bus,'' Corbin said of the children’s incessant pleas in an interview on Good Morning America (GMA). “They pretty much had my back as much as my concern was for them. At the end when they started questioning him it seemed to have frustrated him.”

In Columbia, South Carolina, an Army trainee, Jovan Collazo, used a rifle to take control of the bus Corbin was operating while 18 elementary students were on their way to Forest Lake Elementary NASA Explorer School. The gunman, who was from Fort Jackson, forced his way onto the bus and held the driver and students against their will. 

Corbin told GMA the hijacker’s main objective was to get to the next town. 

The Richland School District Two driver knew his best option was to keep his cool. But he said when the hijacker noticed students were scattered throughout the bus, he decided to move them upfront to keep everyone all in close proximity. 

Some of the students on board were kindergarteners, Corbin said. Curious about his intentions, Corbin said they proceeded to ask the suspect why he was hijacking the bus, if he was going to hurt them and if he was going to hurt their bus driver. 

According to The Washington Post, the entire incident lasted six minutes before the gunman got frustrated. Corbin said they rode for about four miles.  

“From that point, it seemed like he sensed more questions coming and it seemed like something clicked in his mind like, ‘Enough, enough already' and he just told me to stop the bus,” Corbin said. “In the end…he told me to stop the bus and said ‘All y'all get off, just get off.’” 

Collazo, 23, now faces 19 counts of kidnapping along with dozens of more charges, including individual counts of carjacking, possessing a weapon on school property, armed robbery and weapons possession during a violent crime, according to People. 

As for Corbin, he’s been awarded for his ability to keep all of the children safe.

South Carolina Senator Mia McLeod introduced a resolution in his honor. State Superintendent Molly Spearman credited Corbin’s skilled response to the extra bus driving training courses he’s taken, WBTV reported.

Richland County sheriff Leon Lott said he was impressed by camera footage of Corbin’s reaction.  

"He just went through a checklist in his head with all of the things he needed to do, and he did them all perfectly," Lott said. 

By the time authorities were at the bus, they found the alleged weapon located inside unloaded, People reported. Collazo was not in possession of ammunition during the time of his arrest. 

Forest Lake Elementary NASA Explorer SchoolRichland County Sheriff's OfficeSouth-Carolina