Long Beach PD searching for 3 suspects in deadly Metro Blue Line train stabbing

Deadly Metro Blue line stabbing once again raises train safety concerns

Metro continues to be at the center of scrutiny as the Los Angeles transit agency deals with yet another case of one of its passengers being in danger -- this time a person being stabbed to death in Long Beach.

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach homicide detectives are searching for three suspects after a man died following a stabbing on a Metro Blue Line train Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Investigators said Thursday they do not believe it was a random attack.

Officials with the Long Beach Police Department said the attack happened just before 3:40 p.m. Wednesday when officers were called to the 1st Street Station following reports that someone had been stabbed.

Later in the investigation, detectives learned the victim boarded the Metro Rail outside Long Beach city limits. At some point after the train entered Long Beach, three male suspects approached the victim as soon as they boarded and began physically assaulting him. Authorities said one of the suspects produced a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times. When the train stopped near 1st Street and Pine Avenue, the suspects ran away from the scene.

Man dies after being stabbed on Metro train in Long Beach

Witnesses told investigators the stabbing happened after the victim and the suspect got into an argument.

Once officers arrived, they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds on the train. He was moved from the train to the platform where first responders rendered medical aid.

Paramedics with the Long Beach Fire Department took the victim to an area hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. His name has not been released by authorities pending notification of the next of kin.

Credit Twitter @multimodalLA

Wednesday's stabbing comes less than a week after two separate stabbing attacks at or near Metro trains in Los Angeles. One man has been arrested for one of those attacks.