A passenger on the Blue Line train in Long Beach was stabbed to death Wednesday afternoon, the third crash on the Metro transit line in a week and the second confirmed murder this year.
Long Beach Police responded to reports of an attack at the 1st Street station around 3:30 p.m. Police spokesman Brandon Fahey said officers found a man with stab wounds.
Metro representative Pam Krebs said train passengers informed the railway operator that a train driver was injured in an altercation and needed immediate medical attention. She said the victim died on the way to the hospital.
A male suspect fled the scene before police arrived. Homicide detectives are investigating the death.
A graphic video of the aftermath of the stabbing is posted on Twitter and shows paramedics performing CPR on a man on the platform of the station. A bystander used crude language to describe the attack to a police officer as the cameraman entered the carriage to reveal a pool of blood.
The deadly incident is just the latest wave of violence to hit the besieged Metro system.
Krebs said this is the second confirmed murder in the transit system in 2023.
In addition, two people have been reported crashed at Metro Red Line stations on Thursday in separate attacks, according to police.
The Los Angeles Police Department said a man was stabbed after an apparent argument while standing on a platform in East Hollywood. Police responded to reports of a deadly weapon attack at the Hollywood/Western station. A man with serious injuries was taken to the hospital.
Another man was stabbed while standing on the Red Line podium at Westlake/MacArthur Park Station, said Nicholas Prang, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries to the neck and torso.
The stabbing suspects have yet to be arrested. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the attacks appear to be unrelated.
Metro has seen a significant increase in violent crimes, with a 24% increase in serious assaults, robberies, rapes and homicides between 2021 and 2022, according to its latest annual report. The report said the Red Line had the highest number of criminals with 687, almost double that of the next line, Blue.
Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.
