Authorities on Sept. 27 identified a passenger who was fatally shot by a gunman during the hijacking of a Los Angeles Metro bus earlier this week.
The incident began around 12:46 a.m. on Wednesday near Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue and ended downtown after the suspect led police on an hour-long pursuit. SWAT officers eventually stopped the bus and arrested the suspect, according to a Sept. 25 LAPD press release.
First responders found Rivera on the bus with multiple gunshot wounds and took him to a hospital, where he later died.
Lamont Campbell, 51, of Los Angeles is in custody on murder charges and is being held on $2 million bail, police said. His case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Sept. 30.
Officers first responded to a call in the early morning hours of Sept. 25 from Metro’s security operations center, which had received an alert from the Line 81 bus, LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham said during a press conference hours after the incident.
While en route to the scene, officers learned that a man with a gun was on the bus and quickly deployed the SWAT team, police said.
Upon arrival, officers saw a flashing sign on the front of the bus: “Emergency, 911 Call Police.”
Several passengers managed to exit the bus after the suspect reportedly brandished a gun. However, two others remained on board as the bus driver drove away with the suspect allegedly holding the gun to his head, a spokesperson for the LAPD told The Epoch Times.
Police eventually found the bus at 117th Street and Figueroa.
Graham said that when officers tried to contact the people on board, the bus began to slowly roll away from them, prompting a pursuit.
According to the LAPD, officers pursued the bus for an hour across town before using spike strips to stop it at East Sixth Street and South Alameda Street.
Once the bus came to a stop, officers surrounded it and fired bean bags and stun grenades at the suspect.
Graham said the driver “is in relatively good spirits, although a bit shaken up.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who’s also chair of the L.A. Metro board of directors, called the incident a “nightmare” and commended the bus driver’s actions.
Hahn also called for improved safety measures for the Metro system.
“We need solutions to prevent people from taking weapons on our system in the first place. If you can’t get into a Dodger game or a concert with a weapon, you should not be able to board a bus or a train with a weapon,” she said.
Hahn added that the agency is currently testing three weapon detection systems at the Union Station, and she hopes to see more law enforcement riding the buses and trains in the near future.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also attended the press conference, saying that such incidents cannot be tolerated in the city.
Bass, also a Metro director, said the board is prioritizing several security measures—including silent alarms and barriers for bus drivers, which proved effective in this incident—in response to the increase in violent crime.
“Every Angeleno has the right to go about their lives safely, especially on our public transportation system,” she said.
Metro had previously ordered hundreds of barriers to protect bus drivers after a string of attacks. The transit agency plans to have them installed on all its buses by the end of the year.
The fatal shooting marks the most recent instance of high-profile violence affecting the Metro transit system, occurring just months after the agency committed to enhancing security and improving safety for passengers.
This year, over a dozen violent incidents have taken place on buses, trains, and Metro properties.
In August, two passengers were stabbed on a Metro bus in South Los Angeles. In April, a 66-year-old woman was fatally stabbed on the subway after returning from her night shift. In March, a man hijacked a Metro bus, threatening the driver with a fake gun, which led to the bus crashing into multiple parked cars and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel downtown.
Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins noted that this week’s incident highlights a broader trend of violence on the county’s streets, emphasizing the extensive reach of the transportation system.
“Metro buses stop at city sidewalks and bus stops we do not own, and drive on streets that we do not control,” she said during the Sept. 25 press conference. “We pick up passengers from all walks of life, and what happens on our buses is a reflection of what we’re facing in our communities.”
Wiggins noted the need for increased street patrols in crime hotspots during peak times. She also urged the county to invest more in mental health and addiction treatment while tackling drug and weapon-related issues.
