Bus taken hostage, one passenger dead

Terror struck the City of Angels in the middle of the night. A bus passenger died on Wednesday, September 25 in Los Angeles, California, after an armed man boarded the bus to take him hostage. The incident sparked a spectacular car chase.

According to US media reports, the attack occurred around 12:45 a.m. (local time), when police received an initial radio call reporting a disturbance on board a bus between Manchester Street and Figueroa Street in the south of the city.

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An armed individual

While initial police reports suggested an altercation, the intervention of law enforcement on the scene confirmed that the bus was the victim of a hijacking by an armed individual. Two passengers and the driver were on board.

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When police officers attempted to contact the passengers, the bus suddenly started moving, causing a dangerous chase through the streets of the city centre.

Flat tire ends chase

At around 2:10 a.m., the vehicle finally stopped, slowed down in its mad rush by several spike strips deployed by the police. Thus allowing a tire to be punctured on the right side of the bus.

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A SWAT team (the equivalent of the GIGN in France) was called in urgently and was able to board the bus and extract two occupants: a passenger and the driver. The third person, found with multiple gunshot wounds, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The suspect, meanwhile, immediately surrendered and was taken into custody. For the time being, the investigation opened must in particular determine the motive for this attack.

The driver made a hero

Remaining calm during the terrifying chase, the bus driver was praised for his courage and professionalism. “I want to honor the bus driver whose actions last night were nothing short of heroic,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.

“With an armed man on board and his life on the line, he had the composure and wherewithal to press the silent alarm, alerting both the Metro operations center and law enforcement, and ultimately getting help for himself and his passengers. He showed incredible courage, driving the bus safely for an hour,” she added at a news conference.