Hours after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and city officials held a Thursday press conference to announce a surge in law enforcement, a rider was fatally shot on a Metro bus in the city of Commerce.
The incident occurred on the 6100 block of Slauson Avenue just before 5 p.m., according to a Los Angeles Sheriff’s department alert. The suspect boarded the bus at a stop, shot the victim with a handgun and exited the bus.
Deputies from the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s station found the suspect a few blocks away and took him into custody. The victim was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead.
The violence follows a spike in attacks on the LA transit system and came just hours after LA Mayor Karen Bass and County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, among others, issued an “immediate surge” of police and other public safety personnel on buses and stations throughout the city before a formal motion is filed next week.
With the initiative, Metro administration and city officials look to increase visibility of law enforcement to deter crime and increase coordination when crime happens. During the press conference, Bass stressed the importance of keeping riders and drivers safe above all else.
“Let me begin by being absolutely, unequivocally clear: the spike in violent crime on Metro that we have recently seen against operators and riders has been absolutely unacceptable,”Bass said.
The mayor also committed to working alongside Public Works to ensure cell phone service is available at underground stations so riders can call for help if needed.
In a statement following the incident in Commerce, Metro wrote: “The tragic incident this afternoon aboard a Metro bus in the Commerce area exemplifies how violence is increasing in society overall and spilling into our local communities.”
Despite Metro reports showing increased ridership and a general decrease in crime, a passenger was fatally stabbed on a B line train last month and the Metro system saw two stabbings on May 13 alone. Earlier this year a Metro bus was hijacked by a person with an airsoft gun.
Maggie Fernandez, a Long Beach resident who was taking the 70 line bus at Soto Street and Cesar Chavez Friday morning said she was aware of recent attacks on the system but that they wouldn’t dissuade her from utilizing public transit.
“You always gotta keep your eyes open and be cautious about who’s getting on next to you. Don’t mess with people, and you’ll have a good trip,” she said.
