A gunman accused of hijacking a Los Angeles Metro bus earlier this week and killing one person on board is believed to have boarded the bus to rob the passengers, according to multiple police sources.
The investigation into the hijacking is still ongoing, but the sources said that robbery is currently the leading theory for how the incident began.
Lamont Campbell, 51, is being held on suspicion of murder and awaiting arraignment after police say he boarded the bus in South Los Angeles around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, shot a passenger and held the driver and another passenger hostage in more than an hour as he led police on a winding chase into downtown.
On Friday, police identified the victim as 48-year-old Anthony Rivera of Los Angeles. He died at a hospital after a SWAT team stormed the bus and took Campbell into custody. Multiple law enforcement sources who were not authorized to speak publicly about an ongoing investigation said Rivera was shot during an attempted armed robbery.
Police said the chase began near South Figueroa Street and Manchester Avenue about 12:45 a.m. after Campbell boarded the bus, argued with the driver and shot a passenger as the other riders ran out. A passenger was hit by a car as they fled the bus and was injured but survived.
For more than an hour, police vehicles followed the bus as it slowly made its way from the Vermont Knolls in South Los Angeles to downtown, where police used nail strips to puncture the tires.
After a SWAT team deployed stun grenades and stormed the bus, Campbell was arrested.
Paramedics found Rivera on the bus with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The LAPD expects to present its case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office on Monday.
On Wednesday, Mayor Karen Bass said the city will explore new ways to detect guns and protect drivers and riders on public transit.
“I want to say unequivocally that what happened this morning will not be tolerated. It has no place in Los Angeles and the individual who was arrested must be held fully accountable,” Bass said. “Every Angeleno has the right to live their lives safely, especially on our public transport system.”