A bus driver was shot and killed by a passenger in Mar Vista late Thursday afternoon, police said.
The shooting occurred during a verbal dispute between the two people on a Culver CityBus near Mitchell and Centinela avenues around 5:15 p.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
LAPD Capt. Eric Eppolito told NBC Los Angeles the passenger was intoxicated and that the altercation was apparently over a wrong direction.
Police say the driver, described as a man in his 40s, was taken to the hospital and died. His identity has not been released.
The suspect, last seen wearing a white shirt, left on a bicycle or on foot, the LAPD said. A weapon was not recovered at the scene, the police department said.
“I can ensure the public that we are on it, we are out here and we will stay on it until we find the individual responsible,” Eppolito said, adding that the LAPD was in the process or reviewing video and witness statements.
One person was detained, according to police, but it’s unclear if that individual was involved in the incident.
In a statement, Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza called the shooting a “senseless act of violence.”
“We are grieving the loss of someone who dedicated their time and talents to serving Culver City and who made a meaningful difference through that service every day,” Puza wrote, in part.
The mayor said Culver CityBus service would be suspended throughout the weekend.
Two other people were on the bus at the time of the shooting and were both uninjured, Eppolito said.
The investigation is ongoing.
This is a developing story.