A search was underway in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday where a male suspect allegedly fatally stabbed a man on a Metro train platform at Pershing Square and then fled the scene.
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department responded to reports of the stabbing at the station, located near the intersection of 5th and Hill streets, just before 5:30 p.m.
At the scene, authorities requested a canopy and crime scene tape. The victim, an approximately 23-year-old male, according to police, was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Authorities told KTLA that the suspect got into an argument with the victim, produced a knife and fatally stabbed him.
Police say the suspect, described as a Black male, approximately 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, with black hair, black clothing and a black backpack, was last seen on the stairs of the platform and was armed with a knife that has not been recovered.
Commuters on Metro’s B Line train were unable to get off at the Pershing Square station due to the active investigation and crime scene, Metro said. It is unclear how long the delay lasted.
In a statement late Thursday evening, Metro said:
“It is distressing that a senseless act of violence occurred within our Metro system. Safety is, and always has been Metro’s utmost priority and we are deeply committed to providing a secure environment for our customers. Metro is working with the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate this incident.
Our sympathies go out to the victim’s family and friends. We are asking for your help in providing any information regarding the incident. If you see something, say something. Please call 888.950.SAFE (7233) or 911. You can also anonymously report information using our Transit Watch smartphone app now available for both iPhone and Android. Working together, we can all help ensure a safer and more secure Metro system.”
