The Metro family joins the greater L.A. region in mourning the death of Sandra Shells, 70, a veteran nurse at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center who died Sunday from injuries suffered in an attack last week at a bus stop near Union Station.
To honor Sandra Shells, Metro tonight and through Sunday will offer a tribute in blue lights on Union Station and the façade of Metro’s Division 13, located across the street from the location where the incident took place. We encourage all riders and community members to pause and reflect on the contributions of Sandra Shells and all healthcare providers to our local communities.
“I am devastated to learn that the LAC+USC nurse who was attacked at a Metro bus stop has succumbed to her injuries,” said Metro Board of Directors Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “As a frontline essential worker, she helped save countless lives throughout the pandemic and it is a heartbreaking loss to lose a hero. As Chair of the Metro Board of Directors, I will continue to push for an enhanced safety plan for riders and staff so we can prevent tragic incidents like this from happening again. I send my condolences to her family and the entire LAC+USC community.
“On behalf of Metro, I pass along our deepest condolences to family, friends and colleagues of Sandra Shells,” said Metro CEO Stephanie N. Wiggins. “The escalating violence in our region is disturbing and, sadly, sometimes occurs on our transit system. We are working on a heightened response to criminal activity on our system so that all riders can safely travel to essential jobs and other destinations.”
A male suspect in the attack on Sandra Shells has been taken into custody, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Categories: Safety
This week Supervisor Solis and Metro Chief Exec. Stephanie Wiggins published heartfelt sorrow at the loss of the life of Nurse Sandra Shells, who was attacked at a bus stop, where she waited after work for a bus. She died. We the Public experience sadness, anger, and frustration; some people are just numb. There will be another similar incident. We all know it. Remedial Action has been and will continue to be wanting. Condolences are not enough.
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Safety is an issue at our transit on/off locations, as well as on our means of Transit. Safety covers a lot of bases, including crime, but I do not see crime stats on the multiple Metro project studies. Yet crime is becoming rampant, and protection is becoming sparse.
Crime is often opportunistic, and every transit bus stop, station, fist mile/last mile provides an opportunity for mischief, robbery,, bodily harm, and worse.. Especially at night, all levels of crime are directed at vulnerable transit riders, especially those who have no other choice, other than to wait for and to use a form of public transportation. What funding and programs specific to these issues are built into Metro Transit proposals? What actual action plans to deter and deal with crime are being built into Metro’s existing and future Projects?
It’s so sad,on 01/9/22Iwas on the train that incident happen on related to the airplane, we where on the train more than 6 hours ,they dont offer us a bus nothing
Hi Alicia;
I’m pretty sure the incident you describe involved a Metrolink commuter rail train — which is operated by Metrolink, not Metro. Please see Metrolink’s website for their contact information. Thank you,
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source