LYNWOOD, CA – A passenger on a Los Angeles Metro bus was stabbed Tuesday at the intersection of Long Beach Boulevard and Norton Avenue, triggering yet another instance of violence on the city’s transit system. The attack happened in the Lynwood suburb just before the bus was due to stop.
The specifics of the situation leading up to the bus assault have yet to be confirmed. The person victimized in the incident was promptly hospitalized, however, their injuries have been deemed non-life threatening. Meanwhile, an individual was apprehended at the site in relation to the stabbing.
The event unfolded Tuesday afternoon, with police tape sealing off the bus terminal located near a laundromat. Attempts to procure comments from Metro authorities were ongoing.
This act of violence is part of a larger pattern of assaults plaguing Metro buses, trains, and stations in Los Angeles. In response to the increase in crime, Metro board chairman and Mayor Karen Bass mandated a surge in law enforcement across the city’s transport system last week.
Tragically, just hours after Mayor Bass called for heightened security at a press conference, a Metro bus in Commerce was the site of a fatal shooting. The mayor deemed such incidents of violence as ‘unacceptable’. A motion to increase daily deployment of public safety personnel on all transit modes is expected to be introduced this week.
The motion also aims to create a unified command system to better coordinate the safety enhancement efforts. Expressing concern and regret, Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro Board Vice Chair, Janice Hahn, echoed the urgent need for increased law enforcement and safety measures in the transit system.