Man shot and killed on Metro train in South Los Angeles

A man was killed after being shot in the head on a Metro train in South L.A. Friday night.

The shooting happened near the La Cienega/Jefferson station on the 5600 block of West Jefferson Boulevard in West Adams at around 7:22 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

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

Arriving officers found the victim with a gunshot wound to the head who was not conscious or breathing at the time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Witnesses recalled feeling terrified as the shooting happened during Friday night rush-hour traffic.

“I heard three shots and I thought it was fireworks because I didn’t think people literally shoot on the trains, point blank like that,” said a witness who did not wish to be identified.

The witness had just stepped 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 just as the doors were closing.

“I saw three guys banging on the door screaming, ‘Snitch! Snitch!’” the witness recalled. “The train car ends up taking off. The next thing you know, it stops because usually train cars will stop and let the late people get on the train. But in this case, those people ended up pulling out a gun and shooting a guy point blank.”

Three suspects, described as Hispanic males, were seen fleeing the area while riding skateboards.

“It appears there was some kind of argument between a group of males down here on the ground level,” explained LAPD Captain Jamie Bennett. “They ran up the stairs and boarded a train that had been waiting here to unload passengers. The shooting occurred on the train. Then the suspects left the platform running down the staircase.”

Surveillance video captured several males running underneath the train platform immediately after the shooting. One man is seen covering his face. Police have not confirmed whether those men were the same suspects.

The witness, however, believes those men were definitely involved.

“They were 100% the same guys because no one else was up here, just them,” the witness said. “My train car was very empty. It only had about six people on it and it usually has more people.”

Sky5 video showed a large police presence blocking off the Metro station as they investigated the scene.

“All E Line trains will be turning back from Culver City and La Brea stations due to police activity at Expo/La Cienega Station,” Metro officials said.

Bus shuttles will replace train service between La Brea and La Cienega until further notice.

Friday’s deadly shooting comes on the heels of a troubling increase in violent crime across public transit. Attacks targeting Metro riders and operators, some fatal, have included shootings, stabbings, assaults, robberies, hijacks and more.

In May, Metro officials voted to authorize an “immediate surge” of law enforcement to patrol buses, trains and stations to address the concerns of drivers and passengers.

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

The victim’s identity was not released pending an investigation from the coroner’s office.

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