Man charged with killing Metro passenger in bus hijacking appears in court
A man charged with killing a Metro passenger when he allegedly hijacked a bus in Los Angeles last month had his bail set at $5,575,000 and his arraignment postponed during a court appearance Tuesday.
Lamont Campbell, 51, faces counts of murder, carjacking and kidnapping as part of a dozen felony charges filed against him in connection with the Sept. 25 incident. The hijacking led to a police pursuit from South Los Angeles to downtown LA, where it came to an end following a standoff between Campbell and SWAT officers. Inside the bus, Anthony Rivera was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Rivera was a 48-year-old resident of LA who prosecutors say was just trying to get home from work.
Family members of Rivera have said he had just finished a work shift at Dodger Stadium that night. He had served in the National Guard and also worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, his cousin, Sarah Beck, said.
According to prosecutors, Campbell had boarded the bus at the corner of Figueroa Street and Vernon Avenue in South LA before pulling out a gun and opening fire on Rivera. He allegedly shot Rivera multiple times, killing him before then threatening the driver.
On Tuesday, Campbell appeared in a Los Angeles court and had his arraignment postponed until Dec. 5. If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum possible sentence of 90 years to life.
Over the course of the hijacking, police said Campbell held the driver at gunpoint and held him hostage, along with two passengers still on board, for around an hour. The driver hit a panic button that alerted authorities and put a lit-up "Call 911" message across the front of the bus. Prosecutors allege Campbell had also threatened another passenger with the firearm and robbed one hostage.
As the bus drove north into downtown LA, authorities threw a spike strip into the road that brought the bus to a halt near South Alameda Street and 6th Street. Campbell then allegedly barricaded himself inside the bus, refusing to come out, before SWAT officers shot bean bags and used stun grenades to take him into custody.
He was booked into LAPD's 77th Street Station that day and is currently being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility downtown, according to county inmate records. His bail currently stands at $5,575,000 after previously being set at $2 million.
Four people have been killed aboard LA Metro buses and trains between January and June of this year, according to data from the transit agency and law enforcement reports. Over the same six-month period, there were less homicides reported in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, according to Metro's public safety reports.
A wave of violent crime aboard the transit service, and at its stations, led to concerns from drivers and passengers while Metro leaders responded with promises of safety improvements. Some new measures, like a weapons detection system, are still in the research phase while Metro is still finishing up other changes, like the installation of plastic barriers protecting bus drivers.