Bus passenger dead and suspect in custody following downtown LA Metro bus hijacking

A Metro bus passenger who was shot in an early Wednesday morning downtown Los Angeles bus hijacking has died, and the suspect is in custody.
Police investigators are applauding the actions of the Metro bus driver who was held at gunpoint for over an hour with “Emergency” and “911 Call Police” flashing on the bus’s front light display as the suspect ordered him to drive, triggering a slow police pursuit.
The incident unfolded around 12:45 a.m. at Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue when the suspect boarded the bus and began arguing with the driver. Some of the passengers got off the bus. The suspect then held the driver at gunpoint, at times directing him to drive the wrong way.
Police investigators said two passengers remained on the bus, and it’s believed the passenger who died from his wounds was shot at the beginning of the incident.
The driver hit the panic button, alerting the police, and triggering the emergency messages on the light display.
Police threw down spike strips several times during the pursuit, eventually causing the bus to slow down and stop near Sixth and Alameda streets, with the two hostages still on board, and the driver.
The suspect barricaded himself in the bus, leading SWAT officers to shoot bean bags and stun grenades, ultimately taking the suspect into custody. The other passenger and bus driver were not physically harmed, according to police.
“Metro is grateful for the LAPD’s swift action regarding this morning’s bus hijacking incident and is grateful the operator was unharmed. Metro is providing the operator with the support he needs,” Metro said in a statement. 
An analysis of Metro’s available data showed that reports of weapons on the system have increased nearly three times compared to pre-pandemic levels.  
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said there are still unanswered questions about how Wednesday morning’s incident happened. “We need ways to prevent people from bringing weapons onto our Metro buses and trains, and the sooner we can find solutions to prevent tragedies like this, the better,” Hahn said.