Man fatally stabbed on Metro Blue Line in Long Beach

A rider on a Blue Line train in Long Beach was fatally stabbed Wednesday afternoon, the third stabbing on a Metro transit line within a week and the second confirmed homicide this year.

Long Beach police responded to reports of an attack at the 1st Street station around 3:30 pm. Officers found a man suffering from apparent stab wounds, police spokesman Brandon Fahey said.

Passengers aboard the train had alerted the rail operator that a rider was injured during a fight and needed immediate medical attention, Metro representative Pam Krebs said. The victim died en route to a hospital, she said.

A male suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. Homicide detectives are investigating the death.

A graphic video of the stabbing’s aftermath was posted to Twitter and showed paramedics giving CPR to a man on the station’s platform. A bystander uses coarse language to describe the attack to a police officer as the videographer steps into the train car to reveal a pool of blood.

The fatal incident is just the latest episode of violence to hit the embattled Metro system.

This is the second confirmed homicide in the transit system in 2023, Krebs said.

Also, two people were reported stabbed at Metro Red Line stations Thursday in separate attacks, according to police.

One man was stabbed after an apparent argument while standing on a platform in East Hollywood, the Los Angeles Police Department said. Police responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon at the Hollywood/Western station. A man with severe injuries was taken to a hospital.

Another man was stabbed while standing on the Red Line platform at the Westlake/MacArthur Park station, said Nicholas Prang, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The victim was transported to a hospital for injuries to his neck and torso.

The stabbing suspects have not been apprehended. The attacks do not appear to be related, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Metro has seen a dramatic increase in violent crimes, with a 24% increase in aggravated assault, robbery, rape and murder from 2021 to 2022, according to its latest yearly report. The Red Line had by far the highest number of crimes at 687, nearly twice as many as the next line, Blue, the report said.

Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.