Convicted Of Metro Train Murder, Homeless Man Tells Judge 'I Would Do It Again'

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A homeless parolee who fatally shot a woman on a Metro train in 2021 was sentenced Monday to 61 years to life in prison.

Andre Dunlap, 26, was convicted of second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a felon, along with an allegation that he personally used a firearm during the commission of the crime, which occurred just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 10, 2021 as the B (Red) Line train approached the Hollywood/Vine station.

Dunlap — described as "agitated" by witnesses — had an argument with the victim, 28-year-old Danielle Harlemon, who was sitting near him on the train. He shot Harlemon, exited the train, and fled to Hollywood Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

"You shot that woman in the neck when she stood up and took one step toward you," Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold said to Dunlap, addressing his claim that he acted in self defense.

Dunlap said in court he would "do it again" because he believed he shot Harlemon in self defense.

"You ran. You're a coward. You're a punk," the victim's mother said to Dunlap in court. She said her daughter "didn't look for trouble."

When officers arrived to the train, they found people performing CPR on Harlemon, who was suffering from gunshot wounds, police said.

Paramedics rushed her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Dunlap was arrested less than a month later in South Bend, Indiana with the assistance of the FBI and South Bend Police Department, police said.

"At the time of the murder, Dunlap was homeless and frequented the Los Angeles area. He was on parole for an attempt robbery in Los Angeles. He originated from Indiana and fled back there after the murder," the LAPD said at the time.

Dunlap has a 2018 conviction for assaulting another passenger on a Metro train and a 2019 conviction for attempted robbery, according to prosecutors. The judge agreed with prosecutors' request for the maximum sentence for Dunlap in the killing of Harlemon.

After his sentence was announced, Dunlap asked if there was "any way I can get the death penalty?" The judge replied "no."

City News Service contributed to this report.