A suspect hijacked an MTA bus and led police on a terrifying, hours-long chase through the streets of Los Angeles, resulting in wild scenes.
The gunman, whose identity has not yet been revealed, shot and killed a passenger around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday as the incident unfolded.
After leading police more than six miles through the city, the suspect was arrested by a SWAT team shortly after 2 a.m.
Reports say a victim on the bus drove the car under the hijacker’s supervision and held it at gunpoint. A witness said the frantic chase through the California city “looked like something out of the movie Speed.”
Online footage from the end of the chase shows the MTA bus pulled over to the side of the road as an armored police vehicle pulled in front of it.
On Wednesday night, an MTA bus was hijacked by a gunman in Los Angeles, sparking wild scenes that saw a victim drive the vehicle away from police at gunpoint.
One witness described the chase through Los Angeles as similar to the movie ‘Speed’
Police chased the bus for more than six miles before a standoff ensued, ending when a SWAT team arrested the hijacker
During the chase, the suspect drove the bus the wrong way onto a one-way street. Police reportedly used wheel studs to slash the tires.
When the suspect stopped the bus in front of the armored vehicle, a confrontation with police ensued over a loudspeaker.
It appears the shooter held at least one person hostage during the chase and ensuing confrontation.
Police initially said they believed more than one person had hijacked the bus, as the driver appeared to be at gunpoint from the hijacker.
It is unclear whether the victim driving the bus was the same one who was shot and taken hostage, or whether there were other passengers on board during the chase.
The suspect was arrested on the scene, while the victim was taken to hospital in critical condition. According to the Citizen crime reporting app, the victim was a 48-year-old man who was shot twice.
Authorities have not released the suspect’s name or motive for the insane incident, but he is believed to be involved in an earlier shooting.