Passenger dies after gunman hijacks city bus in L.A., forces driver through traffic at gunpoint

A passenger was killed after a gunman hijacked a city bus in Los Angeles early Wednesday, leading to a slow police chase through downtown before the suspect was eventually arrested, authorities said.

The armed man boarded the Metro bus with the driver and two passengers aboard shortly before 1 a.m. PT in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The department described it as a kidnapping situation.

Officers approached the bus as it slowly rolled away, and police were in pursuit as the driver drove at gunpoint for the next hour. It does not appear the suspect was ever behind the wheel, police said.

Police deployed spike strips, which punctured one of the tires. After travelling more than 11 kilometres, the bus eventually came to a stop at a downtown intersection, and the suspect surrendered, officials said.

The bus driver was seen on TV news footage climbing out a bus window.

A man was found inside the bus with gunshot wounds, but details about what led up to the shooting were not immediately available. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, ABC 7 reported.

Bus driver receiving support

The second passenger was not injured.

In a statement, Metro said the bus driver was OK and receiving the support he needs. Police praised the driver for keeping calm.

"This operator continued to operate the bus in as safe a manner as he could under the circumstances, with the police trailing him for an hour before the spike strips finally took effect," Deputy Chief Donald Graham told reporters at the scene.

The killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents on the Los Angeles transit system. In May, Mayor Karen Bass called for increased security on bus and train routes.