Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn praised a bus driver Wednesday for his actions during what she called a "real-life nightmare." Police say the Metro driver, who was held at gunpoint during an hourlong chase after the bus was hijacked early Wednesday, activated a panic button after an armed man boarded the bus and fatally shot a passenger, the Los Angeles Times reports. "With a gunman on board and his life on the line, he had the composure and the wherewithal to push the silent alarm, alerting both the Metro operation center and law enforcement," said Hahn, chair of the LA Metro's board of directors. She described his actions as "nothing short of heroic."
After the alarm was activated, the destination sign displayed the message " EMERGENCY 911 CALL POLICE." In a statement Wednesday evening, the LAPD said they "attempted to stop the bus but were unsuccessful, later discovering that the armed suspect had instructed the driver not to stop," ABC News reports. After it was stopped with spike strips, a SWAT team boarded the bus and the alleged hijacker, 51-year-old Lamont Campbell, 51, was arrested on suspicion of murder. One passenger, a 48-year-old man, was pronounced dead at a hospital. The driver and another passenger, who had barricaded himself at the back of the bus, were rescued, LAPD Deputy Chief Donald Graham said.
Graham said the bus driver "is in relatively good spirits, although a bit shaken up," CNN reports. Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said the driver told her he was just doing his job. "But that is not his job," she said. Hahn and Wiggins called for measures to improve safety on the city's transit system. "If you can't get into a Dodger game or a concert with a weapon, you should not be able to board a bus or a train with a weapon," Hahn said. Officials say a safety barrier recently installed on the bus allowed the driver to keep control of the vehicle, possibly preventing further tragedy, the Times reports. (More Los Angeles stories.)
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