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Innocent passenger killed in downtown LA after gunman hijacks MTA bus

By and
Updated  September 25, 2024 1:49pm PDT
Downtown LA
FOX 11

Metro bus hijacking raises more security concerns

A man hijacked a Metro bus in South Los Angeles, and shot and killed a passenger. City officials say the latest incident of violence on the Metro system requires a new focus on security.

The Brief

    • A bus was hijacked by a gunman in South LA
    • The suspect led LAPD officers on a slow-speed pursuit to downtown LA.
    • Some passengers were able to get off the bus during the pursuit.
    • After multiple spike strip deployments, the bus stopped on Alameda Street, between 6th and 7th streets.
    • One passenger, identified as 48-year-old Anthony Rivera, was shot and killed.
    • The bus driver and another passenger were unharmed, while the suspect, Lamont Campbell, was arrested.

LOS ANGELES - Officials said one person was killed after a gunman hijacked and took hostages on a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles.

Investigators said it all began around 1 a.m. Wednesday on S. Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway in South LA’s Vermont Vista neighborhood when the Los Angeles Police Department received reports of a shooting. A short time later, officers became notified of a bus that was hijacked going southbound on Figueroa Street.

Video from the scene shows the moments when LAPD officers were on a slow-speed pursuit of the bus while the bus driver was being held hostage by a man armed with a gun. The pursuit lasted about an hour. 

Investigators said some passengers were able to exit the bus during the pursuit.

Innocent passenger dies in LA bus hijacking

An innocent passenger died after they were caught in a hijacking scene in downtown Los Angeles.

Deadly Metro bus hijacking victim identified

Forty-eight-year-old Anthony Rivera was shot and killed by a man who hijacked a Metro bus in Los Angeles, police said.

The bus driver, who was behind a barrier, was able to press the silent button which notified emergency crews and LAPD of the situation.  

Following multiple spike strip deployments, the bus eventually came to a stop on Alameda Street, between 6th and 7th streets, with four people inside – the suspect, the bus driver and two passengers.

SWAT crews moved in and deployed flash bangs aiming to get the suspect to surrender. That’s when investigators said the bus driver was pulled to safety.

As the hostage situation continued to unfold, the passenger who was shot multiple times was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead by medical personnel. On Friday, the LAPD identified him as 48-year-old Anthony Rivera of Los Angeles.

Innocent bus passenger shot, killed in DTLA

An innocent bus passenger who was held hostage after a gunman hijacked an MTA bus was shot and killed early Wednesday morning.

"My thoughts are with the loved ones of the individual who was tragically killed early this morning. 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," LA Mayor Karen Bass said in a released statement.

The statement continued to say, "What happened this morning was completely unacceptable and has no place in Los Angeles. I want to thank the bus operator involved for their courageous and swift response as well as LAPD officers for their work to apprehend the suspect. While the investigation is still ongoing, I want to be very clear that those involved must be held fully accountable to the rule of law."

Despite the terrifying circumstances, a witness said the bus driver kept calm throughout the incident.

"All I heard was the boom and then I pulled out my camera and started watching from my camera. It was really wild. Props to the driver. He kept his composure pretty well," said witness Steven Johnson.  

He's also being praised by law enforcement and city officials as a hero. 

"This operator continued to operate the bus in as safe as a manner as he could under the circumstances with police trailing him for an hour before the spike strips took effect. I think the world of the operator," said LAPD Transit Bureau Dep. Chief Donald Graham. 

"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. "This is still an active investigation being led by the LAPD."

Eventually, the suspect, identified as Lamont Campbell, was apprehended and arrested at the scene. He was booked for murder and held on $2 million bail. 

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn released the following statement:

"The hijacking of a Metro bus in Downtown Los Angeles late last night and the tragic murder of a passenger was a nightmare. I am grateful to our Metro bus driver who showed incredible composure in activating a silent alarm to alert law enforcement, and to the LAPD who responded to a difficult and dangerous situation. We still have unanswered questions about how this happened and I expect Metro to work closely with both law enforcement and prosecutors as they seek justice for the victim’s family. 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."

The LAPD’s South Homicide Bureau detectives continue to investigate the deadly incident. S. Alameda Street between Factory Place and 7th Street is expected to be closed through the morning for the investigation. 

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