Deadly Orange Line Bus Shooting Connected To Multiple Slayings In San Fernando Valley

VAN NUYS (CBSLA) — A person was shot and killed aboard the Orange Line bus in Van Nuys Thursday afternoon in what was later connected to multiple deadly shootings in the San Fernando Valley area.

Police responded to reports of a shooting around 1 p.m. on the bus at Victory Boulevard and Woodley Avenue in the Van Nuys area.

Aerial views from SKY2 showed a body inside of the bus.

Los Angeles Metro later released a statement confirming one person was fatally wounded in the shooting.

A suspect was seen fleeing the scene on east Victory Boulevard.

Police later confirmed in a press conference that the shooting was related to fatal shootings that occurred earlier in the day in nearby North Hollywood and Canoga Park.

"Once we got to the Woodley station, that's when we heard the gunshot...the bus driver opened the door...everybody started running," said witness Carlos Hurtado de Jesus. "When I was leaving the bus [Zaragoza] ended up coming towards me...and I started going around the bus and I ended up seeing him leave and put the gun away afterward and just take off," he said.

Gerry Dean Zaragoza, 26, was wanted in connection with a fatal 2 a.m. shootings of his own father and brother in Canoga Park and the fatal shooting of his suspected ex-girlfriend 45 minutes later in North Hollywood.

Police later arrested Zaragoza in the Canoga Park area shortly after the fatal bus shooting.