The weekend shutdown follows the killing of a transit operator in Mar Vista as police continue searching for a suspect.
CULVER CITY, Calif. — Culver City suspended CityBus service for the weekend after one of its operators was fatally shot aboard a bus in neighboring Mar Vista, a move city officials said would give the transit workforce time to grieve.
The suspension was announced Friday, a day after the driver was shot during a dispute with a passenger near Centinela and Mitchell avenues. Los Angeles police said the shooting happened about 5:15 p.m. Thursday. The driver, described as a man in his 40s, was taken to a hospital and later died. His name had not been publicly released.
Culver City Mayor Freddy Puza said the city had lost a valued member of its workforce and that the death would be felt throughout the CityBus operation and city government. Culver City also said crisis support services would be made available to staff following the killing.
The service shutdown extends the effects of the shooting beyond the crime scene, temporarily halting the municipal bus system while employees cope with the death of a colleague. The city announced the suspension for the entire weekend. A specific schedule for the return of normal service had not been detailed in the reports available Friday morning.
Police said the driver was involved in an altercation with a passenger before the shooting. Accounts of what prompted the argument varied in early reporting. Witnesses cited by Los Angeles police said the passenger appeared intoxicated and argued about a missed stop, while another police account described the dispute as involving a wrong direction. Investigators had not announced a final conclusion about what caused the confrontation.
After the shooting, the passenger left the bus and fled on a bicycle, police said. Investigators were reviewing video and interviewing witnesses in an effort to identify and find him. No arrest had been announced by Friday morning, and authorities had not released the driver’s name.
The killing occurred during the late afternoon along a busy section of Mar Vista. Police secured the area Thursday evening while homicide detectives gathered evidence. A nearby resident told the Los Angeles Times she heard several shots before seeing emergency personnel treating a wounded man outside the bus.
The city’s decision to suspend service underscored the impact of the driver’s death on the relatively close-knit municipal transit workforce. In announcing support for employees, Culver City described the operator as someone who had served the community through his work. Officials asked for consideration for transit employees when bus operations eventually resume.
The homicide investigation remained with the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Bureau Homicide unit Friday. Detectives continued reviewing witness statements and available video while searching for the passenger who fled the scene. The city, meanwhile, kept CityBus operations suspended through the weekend as employees mourned their colleague.
Author note: Last updated October 2, 2026.