One person was fatally shot on board a bus that was hijacked early on Sept. 25 in downtown Los Angeles, the police said.
The pursuit started when police officers responded to a flashing “Call 911” digital readout on a Line 81 bus at about 12:45 a.m. at Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue in the Vermont Knolls neighborhood of South Los Angeles, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) told The Epoch Times.
Several passengers were able to exit the bus after the suspect allegedly pulled out a gun. Two others remained on board when the bus driver drove off with the suspect allegedly pointing the gun at his head, according to the LAPD.
Officers pursued the bus across town for an hour before using spike strips to eventually stop the vehicle at East Sixth Street and South Alameda Street, the LAPD said. At some point, the suspect allegedly shot a passenger on board.
A standoff ensued once the bus came to a stop. Officers surrounded the bus and shot bean bags and stun grenades at the suspect as they tried to rescue the hostages. Videos shared on social media show SWAT officers helping the bus driver climb out through a bus window.
Speaking at a press briefing at the scene, LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham said the driver is “in relatively good spirits, although a bit shaken up.”
“This operator continued to operate the bus in as safe a manner as he could under the circumstances, with the police trailing him for an hour before the spike strips finally took effect,” he told reporters. “So I think the world of the operator, and this individual and bus operators in general, for the job that they have to do.”
The passenger who had been shot was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Graham confirmed. The other passenger who hid in the back of the bus during the hijacking was rescued by police.
The police have so far not disclosed any details of a possible motive, and the suspect has not yet been identified.
The Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs bus and train service in most of Los Angeles County, said it is providing the bus driver “with the support he needs.”
“Metro is grateful for the LAPD’s swift action regarding this morning’s bus hijacking incident and is grateful the operator was unharmed,” the agency said in a statement.
“This is still an active investigation being led by the LAPD.”
