Santa Monica Police Department Press Release Re: Santa Monica College Shooting
The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) has confirmed that a Santa Monica College (SMC) Custodial Operations Manager was critically injured following a shooting that occurred at the SMC Center for Media & Design (CMD), 1660 Stewart Street, at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024.
Acknowledging the impact of this incident on the students and SMC personnel, Santa Monica College Police Department (SMCPD) Chief Johnnie Adams stated, “As we try to make sense of this horrific act of workplace violence, the safety of our community is our primary focus. We are deeply grateful to SMCPD personnel and all our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to apprehend the suspect.”
“To help our community through this very difficult time, SMC will be providing counseling and mental/emotional support,” said SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery in an October 15 message to the community. “At this heartbreaking time, I urge us all to come together in kindness and compassion as we navigate this unspeakable tragedy.”
On the evening of the shooting, SMPD, SMCPD, and Santa Monica Fire Department personnel arrived quickly to render aid and secure the campus. The suspect fled immediately after the shooting and remained at large overnight. The victim was transported to a local hospital and remains in critical condition.
After a swift and thorough investigation, SMPD Detectives identified Davon Durell Dean (D.O.B. 01/08/1985), an SMC employee, as the suspected shooter. Dean has a history of arrests including for attempt murder in 2011 and an assault with a deadly weapon, a firearm, in 2019. His only convictions were for misdemeanor property crimes.
Today, October 15th, at approximately 3:00 pm, officers with the Hawthorne Police Department, located the suspect’s vehicle near El Segundo Blvd. and Aviation Blvd. After a short pursuit, a pursuit intervention technique was used to stop the suspect’s vehicle. Despite the efforts of the Hawthorne Police Department’s Crisis Negotiations Team, Dean was found deceased inside his vehicle from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Los Angeles County Coroner will be responding.
The investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are working to determine the full sequence of events leading to this tragedy. There are no known additional suspects involved and there is no ongoing threat to the public.
“I am so proud of our detectives who worked tirelessly throughout the night in collaboration with our partners at the Santa Monica College Police Department to identify and locate the suspect in this tragic incident. Our officers’ commitment to the safety of the Santa Monica community is evident and remains paramount.” – Chief Batista
All media inquiries related to the investigation should be routed to Lieutenant Aklufi at [email protected].
All inquiries related to Santa Monica College should be routed to Grace Smith, Director of Public Information at [email protected].