A Metro passenger was shot and killed on a bus Thursday afternoon in the City of Commerce hours after Mayor Karen Bass ordered a “surge” in law enforcement amid alarming incidents of violence on the system of buses and metro in the region.
A Metro spokesperson confirmed that the shooting took place on a Line 108 bus. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department arrested a suspect, according to Metro.
Metro sources said the attack appeared to be unprovoked.
“This afternoon's tragic incident aboard a Metro bus in the Commerce area exemplifies how violence is increasing in society at large and spreading to our local communities,” Metro said in a statement. “Metro is saddened by this incident and extends our deepest condolences to the victim's family.”
The Sheriff's Department said the incident occurred around 4:50 p.m. in the 6200 block of Slauson Avenue, and the victim was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead. The names of the victim and suspect have not been released.
The shooting is the latest violent attack against a Metro passenger. Three people were stabbed in two incidents this week. Last month, a 66-year-old woman was fatally stabbed on the subway when he returned home from his night job.
The violence has generated fear among some Metro users, who say they no longer feel safe traveling on public transportation. Earlier Thursday, Bass announced that he would increase law enforcement deployment levels, although he did not say how many officers would be added or how long they would be deployed.
“The increase in violent crime on Metro that we have seen recently against operators and passengers has been absolutely unacceptable,” he said.
Homicides, aggravated assaults and robberies increased between 2019 and 2023, according to Metro's 2023 year-end summary. There was a sharp increase in a separate category of crimes including assault, vandalism, narcotics use and sexual crimes aboard Metro trains during the same period.
There were no homicides on Metro trains in 2019, but there were three in 2020, five in 2021 and 2022, and six in 2023, according to Metro data. In December 2023, Line B experienced an 18% increase in total crime compared to the previous month, with an increase in aggravated assaults, robberies and robberies.
