LA Metro riders say they feel uneasy after a man hijacked a bus and killed a passenger aboard overnight. Gordon Tokumatsu reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024.
A passenger was shot and killed and an armed man suspected of hijacking a Metro bus and taking its driver hostage was arrested following a terrifying pursuit and standoff Wednesday morning in downtown Los Angeles.
The deadly series of events began just before 1 a.m. when police responded to a shots fired call at South Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway. Los Angeles Police Department officers saw a man with a gun boarding the bus near Figueroa and West 119th Street.
The armed man demanded that the driver continue driving through downtown with four people on the bus -- two passengers, the driver and the gunman. It was not immediately clear whether the driver was held at gunpoint during the slow chase, which went on for about an hour.
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At some point, the gunman shot a passenger on board the bus. The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds, according to police. It was not immediately clear what led up to the shooting.
SWAT officers were called to an area near Skid Row when the bus briefly stopped after police deployed spike strips, the LAPD said. During the standoff, officers surrounded the bus and shot bean bags and stun grenades at the gunman as they tried to rescue the driver and the injured passenger.
The pursuit ended near Sixth and Alameda streets, the LAPD said. The driver was rescued and the gunman was taken into custody.
County Supervisor Janice Hahn said the bus was equipped with a safety barrier designed to prevent a hijacker from approaching the driver and taking control of the bus. The driver has been with the agency for more than a decade, she said.
"The driver showed courage and quick thinking in the middle of the night," Hahn said.
My thoughts are with the loved ones of the individual who was tragically killed early this morning. What happened this morning was completely unacceptable and has no place in Los Angeles.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) September 25, 2024
Every Angeleno has the right to go about their lives safely — especially on our public… https://t.co/e0i8VycTAZ
LAPD Cmdr. Donald Graham told reporters that the passenger who had been shot was taken to a hospital, where he died. Details about the victim's identity were not immediately available.
Graham said another passenger who hid in the back of the bus during hijacking was rescued by police. The driver pushed a panic button inside the bus, alerting police.
Lamont Campbell, 51, was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection with the hijacking and fatal shooting. He was being held on $2 million bond. Details about a motive were not immediately available.
“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 spokesman Jose Ubaldo said. “This is still an active investigation being led by the LAPD.”
The deadly hijacking comes about six months after another Metro bus was commandeered by an armed man in downtown Los Angeles. That bus collided with cars and eventually slammed into the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. The bus driver and a woman in a car struck by the bus were injured.
Authorities later learned the man was armed with a BB gun.
Hahn and Mayor Karen Bass said at an afternoon news conference that a weapons detection system is part of a pilot program being tested by Metro. The system is designed to prevent anyone with a weapon from boarding a bus.
City News Service contributed to this report.
