A stabbing at Jefferson/USC.
USC says the victim was not affiliated with the university. I asked DPS, LAPD and LA Metro for details beyond the initial alert.By Anthony Shen
Issue 013 · October 16, 2026
A person was stabbed Tuesday evening, October 13, at the Jefferson/USC Metro station, next to USC’s University Park campus, according to a USC crime alert. The E Line stop is at Jefferson Boulevard and Flower Street.
The victim was not affiliated with USC, the university’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) told me in an October 16 reply. That detail was not in the original alert.
LAPD’s October 15 update
The Los Angeles Police Department said a victim was taken to a hospital for stab wounds and an officer took an attempted-murder report. As of its October 15 reply, police said the suspect had not been apprehended and Southwest Detectives was handling the investigation. LAPD did not provide an updated condition for the victim.
What remains unclear
DPS’s alert places the stabbing on the station platform. LA Metro’s October 15 written statement describes an altercation between two passengers aboard an E Line train at Jefferson/USC. Follow-up questions did not establish whether the stabbing itself occurred aboard the train or on the platform.
How DPS decides to send alerts
I also asked how DPS decides which incidents warrant a crime alert. DPS says command staff consider the type of crime, location, whether there is a serious and continuing threat to the campus community, and the risk of compromising an investigation. Routine case updates generally do not prompt another notification unless they affect an ongoing threat or require community action.
Record note
DPS said LAPD dispatch initially supplied the wrong location. I checked the October 16 log: case 2603864 lists the 3200 block of Flower Street, replacing Exposition Boulevard. DPS says “CLOSED” means it finished its own role; it does not mean LAPD’s investigation has ended.
Sources
- USC DPS, October 16 email: written answers provided by Assistant Chief David Carlisle, with responses signed by Clery Compliance Manager Ani Nahapatian. Victim affiliation, alert decisions and follow-up notifications, DPS report status, and the location correction.
- LAPD Media Relations, October 15 emails: Officer Garcia’s investigation account and follow-up correcting the incident date to October 13.
- LA Metro, October 15 emails: Media Relations Manager Patrick Chandler’s written statement and follow-up referral to LAPD.
- DPS’s October 13 alert — station-platform account, case 2603864. USC Transportation’s area map — station location beside campus.
- DPS crime logs: October 15, page 4, and October 16, page 7 — original and corrected location.