A 19-year-old man was shot inside a Blue Line train car Monday night as it was stopped at the Fifth Street Station on Long Beach Boulevard, authorities said.
The shooting occurred at 6:22 p.m., and disrupted train service for 23 minutes, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Transit Services Bureau. The victim was taken to St. Mary's Hospital, where he was in stable condition.
The motive for the shooting was not known, authorities said. Three to four suspects were last seen running east on Sixth Street, according to the sheriff's department.
Train service was disrupted while Long Beach police and the sheriff's department investigated the shooting. The train was released around 7:45 p.m., according to Metro's Rick Jager. He said shootings on Metro Rail trains don't ``happen very often.''
--City News Service and Nancy Wride contributed to this story.
Most folks are just trying to get to and from work, school or elsewhere but there does seem to be an increase in transients, solicitors and other folks who just make one feel uneasy. I suspect that after this shooting there will be an increased law enforcement and security presence on the Blue Line trains and platforms for a while. So now might be the *best* time to ride with your kids, especially during daytime hours. Try taking the Blue Line to 7th/Metro and then the Red Line across to Union Station. There you can also show your kids the larger heavy rail trains as they arrive and depart from Union Station's platforms. Then walk over to Olvera Street for lunch before heading home!