LOS ANGELES (AP) — A passenger was killed when a gunman hijacked a bus in Los Angeles early Wednesday, prompting a police chase until the suspect was arrested, authorities said.
The gunman boarded the bus around 1 a.m. in South Los Angeles, with only the driver and two passengers aboard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
A tire from a hijacked Metro bus smokes after being punctured by a spike strip during a slow-moving chase that ended in downtown Los Angeles early Wednesday. (Onstage.TV)
Police approached the vehicle as it rolled slowly. A caravan of police vehicles followed as the driver drove under fire for an hour. A brightly lit sign on the front of the bus read: “Emergency. 911 Call Police.”
Police deployed slashing belts, which punctured one of the bus’s tires. After rolling more than 7 miles (11 kilometers), the bus eventually stopped at an intersection near the city’s Arts District and the suspect surrendered, authorities said.
The driver of the kidnapped Metro bus managed to escape unharmed. (On stage.TV)
Television stations showed a series of small explosions around the bus stopped in the neighborhood of attics and warehouses, and police storming in, protected by shields. The bus driver climbed out of a window and took shelter behind an armored vehicle as officers boarded the bus.
A man was found shot inside the bus, but authorities have not said what led up to the shooting. The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
A news truck near the scene of a bus hijacking late Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles.
(Ryan Sun/AP)
The driver and second passenger were treated by paramedics at the scene and released. In a statement, transport authorities said the bus driver was doing well and receiving the support he needs.
The agency praised the driver for keeping his cool.
“This driver continued to operate the bus as safely as he could under the circumstances, with police following him for an hour until the cut-off straps finally took effect,” Deputy Police Commander Donald Graham told reporters at the scene.
The killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents, including stabbings and shootings, on buses and trains as Los Angeles looks to expand its transit system ahead of the 2028 Olympics. In May, Mayor Karen Bass called for increased security on transit routes.
In March, a man who said he was armed hijacked a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles and took the wheel, causing the bus to collide with several vehicles and crash into a hotel.
