A person was killed early Wednesday morning when a Metro bus in Los Angeles was hijacked at gunpoint, despite California’s strict gun control laws. The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m., leading to a tense standoff with law enforcement.
According to KTLA, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was alerted to the situation after receiving calls that a gunman had boarded the bus and threatened those inside.
The bus driver, realizing the severity of the situation, activated a panic button that displayed a “CALL 911” message on the outside of the bus. Responding officers quickly located the bus near West 117th Street and South Figueroa Street.
However, as the police approached, the situation escalated. The suspect, armed and holding the bus driver at gunpoint, forced the driver to flee from the officers.
Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Donald Graham explained that the bus driver had no choice but to comply with the hijacker’s demands.
“Clearly, he was under duress and under the threat of violence. For him to be able to keep his composure is a reflection on the bus operators in the system,” Graham said, praising the driver’s handling of the crisis.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the bus was pursued by police for over an hour as it traveled through the city. Law enforcement eventually deployed spike strips to disable the vehicle. Once the tires were blown out, a SWAT team was able to board the bus and regain control of the situation.
Inside the bus, police discovered a passenger who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The injured passenger was rushed to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to the injuries. Fortunately, the bus driver and another passenger were unharmed during the ordeal.
The suspect was arrested at the scene, bringing the chaotic standoff to a close. As details emerged, questions were raised about how such an event could occur in California, a state with some of the toughest gun control laws in the country.
These laws include bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks, a red flag law, mandatory gun storage requirements, a 10-day waiting period on gun purchases, and restrictions on the number of firearms a person can buy in a month.
Additionally, California bans the carrying of firearms on school campuses and prohibits K-12 teachers from being armed for classroom defense.
Despite these stringent laws, incidents like the hijacking highlight the ongoing debate over the effectiveness of gun control measures in preventing violent crime.
Just days before the hijacking, Governor Gavin Newsom signed 24 new gun control provisions, adding to California’s already extensive list of regulations.
However, the tragedy on the Metro bus underscores that even with comprehensive laws in place, gun violence remains a serious issue in the state.
The investigation into the hijacking is ongoing as authorities piece together the full sequence of events leading up to the fatal shooting.
