A man was fatally shot on board a Metro bus in Commerce Thursday and a suspect is in custody.
Deputies responded to the 6200 block of Slauson Avenue, between Eastern and Garfield avenues, around 4:50 p.m. regarding a shots fired called, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
“Both the victim and the suspect were passengers on the bus,” sheriff’s homicide Lt. Arturo Spencer told reporters. The suspect approached the victim while on board the bus, shot him and then ran off the bus, Spencer added.
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
The suspect was captured near Peachtree and Eastern avenues, a short distance from the shooting, Spencer said.
“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. Metro is saddened by this incident and extends our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family,” Metro spokesman Patrick Chandler told City News Service.
The shooting came hours after Los Angeles Mayor and Metro Board of Directors Chair Karen Bass said she has ordered an “immediate surge” in public safety personnel on buses and trains to increase their visibility and deter crime in response to a series of violent crime on Metro buses and trains.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous callers may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to visit lacrimestoppers.org.