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

An LA Metro passenger died after being shot in an early Wednesday morning bus hijacking which led to a pursuit from South Los Angeles to downtown LA, with a suspect taken into custody, authorities said.

The suspect was identified by police as Lamont Campbell during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. The victim was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds before being taken to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, according to Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Blake Chow. He has not been identified.

LA Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said another passenger was injured while trying to flee from the bus.

Campbell, 51, is being held on $2 million bail after being booked into LAPD's 77th Street Station, inmate records show.

Chow said the LA Metro driver managed to reach police by pressing a 911 emergency button on the bus. 

Earlier, investigators applauded 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 just before 1 a.m. at Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue in South Los Angeles when the suspect boarded the bus and began arguing with the driver, authorities said. Some of the passengers got off the bus. The suspect then held the driver at gunpoint, authorities said, 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.

After the driver alerted police with the panic button, officers threw down spike strips several times during the pursuit, eventually causing the bus to slow down and stop near Sixth and Alameda streets in downtown Los Angeles. There were the two reported 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 bus driver was not physically harmed, according to police.

"He was calm, professional, leveraged his training," Wiggins said of the driver, who she spoke with Wednesday morning. "And in talking to him, he said he was just doing his job. But this is not his job, and I'm angry and frustrated as I stand here today."

Wiggins said she and other Metro leaders have been "working diligently" to improve safety on the transit system, and she described the violence seen on buses and trains as part of a broader problem with crime in LA. "What happens on our buses is a reflection of what we're facing in our communities," she said.

Meanwhile, the transit agency also commended the driver's actions. 

"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.   

She later said Metro has a pilot program underway testing out weapon detection systems. Hahn also said that the bus driver involved in Wednesday's incident was protected by a plastic barrier around his seat.

In April 2024, the Metro Board approved the manufacturing 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 LA Metro data, including crime statistics reported by the transit agency through May of this year, show 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.