A late-night ride on a Metro bus turned violent early Friday in Exposition Park, the neighborhood bordering USC, when a man was stabbed multiple times aboard the bus, prompting a police manhunt.
The attack was reported at about 1 a.m. at South Vermont Avenue and West Exposition Boulevard, where responding officers found the victim suffering from several stab wounds. Los Angeles Fire Department crews rushed him to a hospital, and his condition remains unknown.
Los Angeles Police Department officers had responded to an "assault with a deadly weapon" call, and a department spokeswoman told City News Service that they arrived to find the wounded man on the bus. Video from the scene showed paramedics loading him into an ambulance. Detectives say they have no description of the attacker and are still searching for the suspect, according to MyNewsLA.
Transit Safety And Recent Incidents
The stabbing lands in a corridor that has already seen tense moments on public transit. Last December, a confrontation on a Metro bus in Exposition Park ended in a deadly shooting, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
In response to rising safety concerns, Metro has rolled out driver protective barriers and other security measures across its bus fleet as part of a broader push to protect operators and riders.
How To Help
Investigators are asking anyone who was on the bus, in the area, or who may have surveillance or cellphone video to contact LAPD detectives. Anonymous tips can be submitted to LA Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477), according to the LAPD.
The investigation is ongoing as detectives continue to canvass the blocks around USC. This story will be updated as officials release more information.
