1 person fatally shot, 1 person arrested after Metro bus hijacked in L.A.
By Rebekah Ludman
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September 25, 2024 (LAPost.com) — One person suspected of hijacking a Metro bus and taking the driver hostage was arrested Wednesday morning and one passenger was fatally shot, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
According to LAPD, police began receiving radio calls at 12:45 a.m. related to an incident that happened on a Metro bus in the area of Manchester Avenue and South Figueroa Street. Police said they located the bus stopped at West 117th Street and South Figueroa Street.
Police attempted to communicate with the driver upon arrival, but the bus pulled away, according to LAPD. The suspect then allegedly led police on a slow-pursuit chase for an hour from South L.A. to downtown L.A. before the person was taken into custody.
“Believing the suspect was armed and still on the bus with hostages, SWAT was requested to respond to the pursuit,” LAPD PIO said in a post on X.
Officers used spike strips to stop the bus at East 6th Street and South Alameda Street, according to police. Police said SWAT deployed a flash-bang device and boarded the bus.
There were a total of four people on the bus, the suspect, the driver, and two passengers, according to police. Officers said they found one passenger suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
“The driver and other passenger were shaken but uninjured,” LAPD said in the post.
The person suffering from multiple gunshot wounds was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to police.
“The hijacking of a Metro bus in Downtown Los Angeles late last night and the tragic murder of a passenger was a nightmare. I am grateful to our Metro bus driver who showed incredible composure in activating a silent alarm to alert law enforcement, and to the LAPD who responded to a difficult and dangerous situation,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who chairs the Metro Board of Directors, said in a statement.
LAPD said the South Bureau Homicide detectives have responded to investigate and search the bus for evidence.
“We still have unanswered questions about how this happened and I expect Metro to work closely with both law enforcement and prosecutors as they seek justice for the victim’s family. We need ways to prevent people from bringing weapons onto our Metro buses and trains, and the sooner we can find solutions to prevent tragedies like this, the better,” she said.
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Rebekah Ludmanrebekah@lapost.com+1-888-488-2023
