Anthony Rivera Obituary, Death; – A 48-year-old resident of Los Angeles has been identified as the individual who was fatally shot on Wednesday aboard a hijacked Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles.
Anthony Rivera was killed by a suspect who has since been arrested on charges of murder, following a hijacking incident that led to a slow-speed police chase lasting approximately one hour through the streets of downtown Los Angeles, as reported by law enforcement officials. At around 1 a.m., Rivera was one of at least two passengers on the bus when an armed assailant boarded and confronted the driver at the intersection of South Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway.
The driver, a long-time employee of the transit agency, activated an emergency alarm, among other measures, which authorities believe helped avert a more severe outcome. Mayor Karen Bass noted that multiple 911 calls were made regarding the hijacking after the driver displayed an emergency message on the bus’s electronic sign instructing passengers to call 911.
During the course of the hijacking, the assailant shot Rivera, who subsequently succumbed to his injuries at a hospital. Information regarding the circumstances leading to the shooting remains unclear. SWAT officers were deployed to an area near Skid Row when the bus came to a temporary halt after police utilized spike strips, which damaged some of the bus’s tires.
In the ensuing standoff, law enforcement surrounded the bus and employed bean bag rounds and stun grenades in an effort to subdue the gunman and rescue the driver and an injured passenger. Upon their intervention, they found Rivera with multiple gunshot wounds. The driver, who has served with the agency for over ten years, along with a second passenger who had taken cover on the bus, received medical attention at the scene and were later released. Metro issued a statement confirming that the bus driver is safe and receiving necessary support.
A 51-year-old man has been taken into custody on suspicion of murder related to the hijacking and the fatal shooting, with a bond set at $2 million. Information regarding the motive for the incident has not yet been disclosed.
This tragic hijacking incident follows another similar event that occurred approximately six months prior, when an armed individual commandeered a Metro bus in downtown Los Angeles, which subsequently collided with vehicles and crashed into the Ritz-Carlton.
