Bus passenger dead and suspect in custody following downtown LA Metro bus hijacking

A Metro bus passenger who was shot in an early Wednesday morning downtown Los Angeles bus hijacking has died, and the suspect is in custody.

Police investigators are applauding the actions of the Metro bus driver who was held at gunpoint for over an hour with "Emergency" and "911 Call Police" flashing on the bus's front light display as the suspect ordered him to drive, triggering a slow police pursuit.

The incident unfolded around 12:45 a.m. at Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue when the suspect boarded the bus and began arguing with the driver. Some of the passengers got off the bus. The suspect then held the driver at gunpoint, at times directing him to drive the wrong way.

Police investigators said two passengers remained on the bus, and it's believed the passenger who died from his wounds was shot at the beginning of the incident.

The driver hit the panic button, alerting the police, and triggering the emergency messages on the light display.

Police threw down spike strips several times during the pursuit, eventually causing the bus to slow down and stop near Sixth and Alameda streets, with the two hostages still on board, and the driver.

The suspect barricaded himself in the bus, leading SWAT officers to shoot bean bags and stun grenades, ultimately taking the suspect into custody. The other passenger and bus driver were not physically harmed, according to police.

"Metro is grateful for the LAPD's swift action regarding this morning's bus hijacking incident and is grateful the operator was unharmed. Metro is providing the operator with the support he needs," Metro said in a statement.

Mayor Karen Bass, also a Metro Board member, called for Metro safety enhancements following Wednesday's tragedy. "Every Angeleno has the right to go about their lives safely — especially on our public transportation systems and I will be urgently working with the members of the Metro Board as well as our Chair and Metro CEO to enhance the safety strategies that we implemented earlier this year." Bass said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said there are still unanswered questions about how Wednesday morning's incident happened. "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," Hahn said.

In April 2024 the Metro Board approved the manufacture and installation of reinforced barriers to better protect bus operators while on duty. Metro's entire bus fleet is expected to be fitted with new barriers by the end of the year, according to Metro.

Violence on the Metro system

There have been four confirmed deaths on Metro's bus and train system since the beginning of the year, according to law enforcement.

• Feb 22:  Darryl Winborn, 62, died after authorities say he was pepper-sprayed by another man aboard a Metro bus in Koreatown.
• April 22: Mirna Arauz, 67, was stabbed in the throat and killed in a sudden, unprovoked attack by a man who prosecutors say tried to take her bag moments earlier as they rode a Metro train in the Studio City area.
• May 16: Juan Luis Gomez-Ramirez was shot and killed while riding a Metro bus in Commerce. He was going home from a new job at a packing warehouse.
• June 21: Juan Garcia, 38, was on an E-Line Metro train at a South Los Angeles station in West Adams when authorities say someone on the platform approached him as the train was leaving and shot him in the head .

An analysis of Metro's available data showed that reports of weapons on the system have increased nearly three times compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The Metro board received a report from their Operation Safety and Customer Experience Committee last week which tracked various crimes on the system in June and July this year and noted the system's response.

Uniformed personnel was expanded following a series of serious incidents . "June was the first full month of the surge of uniformed personnel on Metro's system, as requested by the Board," the report said. Since May 2023, both Los Angeles police and sheriff deputies have increased their patrols on the rail system. At the same time, the report stated that 20% more Metro Transit Security Officers were added.

According to the report , there were 14 assaults on operators in June and 23 in July, with spitting, punching and slapping the top modes of assault. In July, it was noted that brandishing a gun was also a top mode of assault on operators.

In the two months analyzed, five operators required medical transport, three were treated at the scene and one was later transported to a clinic.