LOS ANGELES — The gunman who shot a longtime Santa Monica College employee is dead following a pursuit that ended in a standoff in El Segundo, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
Police say 39-year-old Davon Durell Dean, a Santa Monica College custodian, shot his coworker Monday night on campus. The victim, identified as Felicia Hudson, 54, died of her injuries on Wednesday, police said.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic loss of our colleague Felicia Hudson, who served the college for nearly three decades with dedication and heart. She took great pride in being a steadfast coworker and leader,” college President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery said in a statement.
At about 3 p.m. Tuesday, the suspect’s car was located in El Segundo. Following a brief pursuit, law enforcement performed a PIT maneuver on Dean’s car and was able to stop the vehicle. A standoff then ensued and resulted in the suspect being found dead in his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
As a result of the standoff, access to Aviation Boulevard between 124th Street and El Segundo Boulevard was closed. NewsChopper 4 was over the scene, where at least four police cruisers and three armored vehicles had a black sedan blocked in.
According to Santa Monica Police, Dean had a history of arrests, including one for attempted murder in 2011 and assault with a deadly weapon in 2019. But his convictions were only for misdemeanor property crimes.
Santa Monica College said all prospective employees are required to disclose previous criminal convictions, and Dean did share his prior convictions, which matched records from the Department of Justice.
“By law, the college is only able to consider convictions in our hiring decisions and are unaware of an applicant’s arrest history.” the school president, Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, said, adding all employees are required to be fingerprinted.
In the wake of the on-campus shooting, Santa Monica College said counseling and mental/emotional support services would be provided to students and faculty who have been impacted. A motive for the shooting was not disclosed.