Man shot in subway train in South Los Angeles

A man was killed in South LA on Friday night when he was shot in the head on a subway train.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the shooting occurred around 7:22 p.m. near the La Cienega/Jefferson Station in the 5600 block of West Jefferson Boulevard in West Adams.

The victim was shot on the E train while other passengers were nearby.

Arriving officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the head. He was neither conscious nor breathing at the time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses recalled their terrible feelings of fear when the shooting occurred during rush hour on Friday night.

“I heard three shots and thought they were fireworks because I didn’t think people on the trains were literally shooting at point blank range,” said a witness who asked not to be identified.

The witness had just gotten off the Metro Gold Line at the La Cienega/Jefferson station when he saw three men chasing the victim on the platform.

The victim jumped onto the train as the doors were closing.

“I saw three guys banging on the door and yelling ‘Snitch! Snitch!'” the witness recalled. “The train started moving. And suddenly it stopped, because normally trains stop and let the latecomers get on. But in this case, these guys pulled out a gun and shot a guy at point blank range.”

Three suspects, described as males of Hispanic descent, were observed fleeing the area on skateboards.

“It appears there was an altercation between a group of men down here on the ground floor,” said Captain Jamie Bennett of the LAPD. “They ran up the stairs and boarded a train that was waiting here to drop off passengers. The shooting occurred on the train. The suspects then left the platform and ran down the stairs.”

Surveillance video shows several men walking under the platform immediately after the shooting, one of them covering his face. Police have not yet confirmed whether these men are the same suspects.

However, the witness is convinced that these men were definitely involved.

“It was 100% the same guys because there was no one up here except them,” the witness said. “My train car was very empty. There were only about six people in it, and there are usually more people in there.”

A video from Sky5 showed a large police presence cordoning off the subway station while they investigated the crime scene.

“All E Line trains will reverse at the Culver City and La Brea stations due to police activity at the Expo/La Cienega station,” Metro officials said.

Until further notice, bus shuttles will replace train service between La Brea and La Cienega.

Friday’s deadly shooting followed a disturbing rise in violent crime on public transit. Attacks on subway riders and operators, some of which ended in death, have included shootings, stabbings, assaults, robberies, kidnappings and more.

In May, Metro officials voted to approve an “immediate increase” in police patrolling buses, trains and stations to address concerns raised by drivers and passengers.

The latest public safety data on LA Metro’s public transportation systems can be found here.

The identity of the victim was not disclosed pending the completion of the coroner’s investigation.

This developing story will be updated as more information becomes available.