A man who got off a bus in Westlake was fatally wounded by a person who shot them during an argument near a bus stop.
The unidentified person died after they got back onto the bus and got a ride from a Metro driver to a nearby hospital on Wednesday, according to authorities.
The Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of a shooting shortly before noon at the intersection of 3rd Street and Lucas Avenue. The man who had just gotten off the 16 Metro bus line got into an argument with two other men in the street, LAPD Officer Rosario Cervantez said. During the argument, one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot the victim.
According to a Metro spokesperson, the victim re-entered the bus, and the driver transported him to a nearby hospital. Authorities later confirmed that the man died from his injuries.
The shooting unfolded near several schools and Lupita’s Corner, a neighborhood market and sandwich shop. Owner Lupita Olague did not hear the gunshots, but saw the aftermath as police arrived on the scene.
Located near Miguel Contreras Learning Complex, the shop is often filled with students during school recess. Olague has been in business in the neighborhood for 32 years. But her routine was disrupted after the shooting.
“My son told me that when the young man got off the bus, he was shot,” she said. “After that, he got back onto the bus from the back, and they took him to the hospital.”
Metro thanked its bus driver for “his quick response” in getting the gunshot victim to the hospital. The victim’s name was not immediately available. The Medical Examiner’s Office said the person will be identified pending identification and notification to the next of kin.
For Olague, the violence was unsettling but not unfamiliar.
“Things like this have always happened here,” she said.
Despite what happened, Olague said she continues to feel safe in the neighborhood she has called home for more than three decades.
“Everyone knows me. There are some young people who aren’t good to others, but I’ve known them since they were kids, and they treat me well. I don’t have any problems with them,” she said.
The LAPD is searching for the two suspects involved. Anyone with information is urged to contact the LA Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
