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Capitol Heights Man Killed 1 Woman, Wounded 5 Others On Greyhound Bus In California, Police Say

LOS ANGELES (AP/WJZ) — Police are praising the heroism of bus passengers in California who disarmed a man after he opened fire on a moving Greyhound bus outside of Los Angeles, California.

The man opened fire aboard a packed Greyhound bus in Southern California early Monday, killing one person and wounding five others in a seemingly random attack before passengers disarmed him, authorities and a witness said.

The woman who died has been identified as 51-year-old Lurbis Elena Vence of Molino, Colombia.

The gunman is from Capitol Heights, Maryland, and is charged with murdering one woman on board and injuring five more people.

Anthony Devonte Williams, 33, was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, authorities said. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had an attorney.

The motive for the shooting was not immediately known, and there was no indication the gunman knew any of the victims. Several ammunition magazines were discovered along with the gun, according to authorities.

The bus was traveling on Interstate 5 near the small mountain community of Lebec, about 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles, California, when the passenger started shooting with a semi-automatic handgun shortly before 1:30 a.m.

Forty-three people were aboard, including 6- and 8-year-old children, who were not hurt.

A 45-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were hospitalized in critical condition, a 39-year-old woman had major injuries, a 49-year-old man had moderate injuries and a 50-year-old woman had minor injuries, Pennings said.

A passenger said just before the shooting, Williams had his feet in the aisle and was cursing and talking incoherently.

Court records in Maryland show nine past records for Williams over the past seven years. The most serious charge is domestic violence. There are also traffic violations in Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties.

Williams remains held on no bond.

"I've been on 25 years, I've never seen this happen," California Highway Patrol Sergeant Brian Penning said.

The bus was headed to San Francisco, California.

Greyhound prohibits passengers from bringing guns, explosives or dangerous chemicals on board its buses or in their luggage, according to its website. The company declined to answer additional questions about security on its buses.

(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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