Wednesday morning proved to be a frightening one for bus riders in Los Angeles.
In the early morning hours, a Metro bus was hijacked in South L.A., leading to an hourlong police chase and ultimately a standoff. The bus driver, who was not injured, was taken hostage and held at gunpoint. There were two passengers on the bus. One was rescued; the other suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
On and around the USC campus, Metro bus and train riders weighed in on a tragedy that’s easily a commuter’s worst nightmare, and which comes amid an ongoing crime wave on L.A. public transit.
“The time that the hijacking occurred is usually the time I take the bus back home,” said Leslie Aguilar, a commuter waiting for a bus just off campus.
Aguilar had received an email alert from Metro this morning, alerting commuters to the incident.
Alexa Avila, a frequent metro rider and a USC senior majoring in communications, was similarly rattled.
“It’s definitely concerning to hear about that,” Avila said. “I’m surprised it’s not bigger news…It’s just happened this morning,”
Crime on public transportation in Los Angeles is up. There was a 16% increase in crimes on buses and trains between March and April that include assault and homicide – this year, there were four reported killings.
These crimes have gotten the attention of the Metro Board. Since May 2023, Los Angeles police and security have increased patrols on local trains. The Metro Board reported around the same time that they’ve added 20% more Metro Transit Security Officers.
Avila shared her thoughts about increased security: “Maybe just like more security presence…just having them around makes me feel safer,” she said.
Luckily for these riders, the L.A. Metro board unanimously approved a new plan in June to create its own transit police force, following in the footsteps of the Bay Area, Washington D.C., and Massachusetts.