At least one person died after a gunman hijacked a Los Angeles bus in the USA, triggering a massive chase which eventually ended with the police taking the suspect into custody.

A person was found on the Metro bus early Wednesday with gunshot wounds, then died at a local hospital, Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Donald Graham was quoted as saying by CNN.

The driver of the vehicle and a passenger were rescued from the bus.

The SWAT team moved into the vehicle and rescued the driver and the passenger after the bus was stopped with tire-puncturing spike strips.

Hours after being taken into custody, the suspect’s motive remains unclear, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass thanked the driver and the police for their quick actions.

" My thoughts are with the loved ones of the individual who was tragically killed early this morning. What happened this morning was completely unacceptable and has no place in Los Angeles," the Mayor posted on X.

"Every Angeleno has the right to go about their lives safely — especially on our public transportation systems and I will be urgently working with the members of the Metro Board as well as our Chair and Metro CEO to enhance the safety strategies that we implemented earlier this year," she said.