On Wednesday (September 25th), in downtown Los Angeles, a public bus was hijacked in the early hours of the morning. During the incident, a passenger on the bus was fatally shot. The authorities later apprehended a male suspect in a subsequent pursuit operation.
According to reports from the city news agency, the pursuit began around 12:50 AM on Wednesday, when the police received a report of a shooting near South Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway. At the scene, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department witnessed a gunman boarding the bus near Figueroa Street and 117th Street, demanding the driver to continue driving through the city center.
Media reports indicated that there were four individuals on the bus at the time, including two passengers, a driver, and the hijacker. The police stated that the suspect allegedly held the driver at gunpoint. Subsequently, law enforcement pursued the bus for over an hour, with NBC4 reporting that the hijacker at some point fired a shot that hit one of the passengers on the bus.
Around 2:40 AM, the police stopped the bus using spike strips that were deployed, and SWAT team members were called to the area near South Alameda Street in the Skid Row district.
During the standoff, officers surrounded the bus and fired bean bag rounds and flash-bang grenades towards the hijacker in an attempt to rescue the driver and injured passenger on board.
Authorities mentioned that the driver had pressed the emergency button inside the bus early on to report the situation. Video footage on social media showed the SWAT team assisting the driver in crawling out of the bus through a window.
At a press conference at the scene, LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham stated that the bus driver was “somewhat panicked but relatively composed” and commended the driver for “safely maneuvering the bus as best as possible under the circumstances” during the pursuit that lasted over an hour, which he found remarkable.
Graham confirmed that the passenger who was shot was taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Another passenger who had been hiding at the back of the bus during the hijacking was successfully rescued by the authorities.
The authorities have not yet disclosed any potential motive details, and the identity of the hijacker remains unconfirmed.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), which operates most of the local buses and trains, is providing necessary support to the bus drivers. The organization released a statement expressing gratitude to the LAPD for their swift response to the bus hijacking incident that morning and acknowledging that the drivers were unharmed.
The statement further noted that the investigation is still being led by the LAPD, emphasizing the ongoing collaboration between the two entities.