4:31 p.m., October 21, 2024

Post-Event Summary / Recap, October 14 Workplace Violence Shooting, Center for Media and Design

Dear SMC Colleagues:

This communication provides a summary related to the October 14 workplace shooting at the Santa Monica College Center for Media and Design. After the release of information by Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) following the apprehension and death of the suspect behind the shooting that subsequently took the life of our longtime colleague Custodial Operations Manager Felicia Hudson, there have been many conversations within our community—on top of the heartrending grief and shock we are navigating. As expressed earlier in college-wide messaging that began on the night of this tragic event, SMPD is the lead investigating agency for homicides within the City of Santa Monica.  As lead agency, SMPD controls the release of public information so as to not compromise the ongoing investigation.

The college’s leadership and police department are committed to providing as much information as we are able to—under the limitations mentioned above—in a timely and transparent manner. In the wake of such an event, we know that questions are inevitable as we collectively try to process and make sense of an unconscionable tragedy. As such, this memo contains a detailed timeline of the event itself, the college’s immediate response, and information about some of the most pressing questions raised.

Please note that the following section contains a detailed description of traumatic events and gun violence that might cause distress.

Timeline of the Immediate College Response Following the October 14 Shooting

A summary of the college and the Santa Monica College Police Department’s (SMCPD) response immediately following the 9:50 p.m. shooting at the Center for Media & Design is as follows:

  • 9:50 p.m.: Custodial Operations Manager Felicia Hudson was seated in Building D of the CMD building. She was approached from behind by the suspect, SMC custodian Davon Dean, who pulled out a handgun and shot her twice. The LA County Coroner’s report has not yet been released, and more details are likely forthcoming. (SMCPD Chief Johnnie Adams confirmed in a bulletin the following morning, October 15, 2024, that the shooting was classified as an act of workplace violence and was not a random incident.) The suspect left the CMD campus almost immediately.
  • The initial call was received by SMPD via 911. At approximately 9:53 p.m.: SMPD dispatch notified SMCPD dispatch that there was a report of shots fired at CMD. SMCPD dispatcher contacted the Campus Safety Officer (CSO) on-duty at CMD to investigate, and he reported that he was in the parking structure and had not heard any shots. He began to cautiously investigate and reported that SMPD personnel were arriving on scene.
  • 9:57 p.m.: all SMCPD personnel on duty responded to the scene.
  • 9:59 p.m.: Chief Adams received a phone call confirming that SMPD was on site and that the incident indeed happened. Lockdown of CMD and all SMC facilities initiated.
    • Confirmed that CMD classes were over at 9:30 p.m. Minimal evacuation required. Approximately 10 SMC students and employees were at CMD during the incident. Extensive law enforcement and first responders present on scene including SMPD, SMCPD, and Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD).
  • 10:01 p.m.: Director of Public Information Grace Smith was notified by Chief Adams, who then updated Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery.
  • 10:02 p.m.: Chief Adams en route, called Captain Kevin Kilgore to respond.
  • 10:10 p.m.: Chief Adams confirmed with Sergeant Sonya Patterson that the suspect had left the area (approx. two minutes after incident) and was no longer an immediate threat to the campus—this was also confirmed by SMPD.
  • 10:12 p.m.: Quick update provided to Dr. Jeffery by Chief Adams.
  • 10:19 p.m.: Call made to Director of Facilities Operations Dennis Biddle to confirm which custodial personnel were on site. Other than Hudson and Dean, only 1 custodial staff member was present at CMD.
  • 10:19 p.m.: Chief Adams asked Sgt. Patterson to collaborate with Operations Supervisor Robert Villanueva in moving all custodians currently on campus to one location.
  • 10:21 p.m.: SMPD Deputy Chief Darrick Jacob notified Chief Adams that one gunshot victim had been transported to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center by SMFD.
  • 10:23 p.m.: Both Captain Kilgore and Chief Adams arrived at CMD.
  • 10:25 p.m.: Call made to SMC Information System Security Officer Dan Rojas to deactivate fob.
    • 10:27 p.m.: Learned that suspect had hard keys.
  • 10:34 p.m.: Captain Kilgore called Shuttle Driver Jerome Bruce to facilitate transportation.
  • 10:36 p.m.: Call from Director of Auxiliary Services David Dever to confirm transportation needs.
    • Once transportation was arranged, all custodial staff from CMD were moved to SMCPD headquarters on Pearl Street.
  • 11 p.m.: Employees including Senior Staff arrived at SMCPD headquarters and remained in the briefing room until SMPD arrived to collect information. Vice President of Business & Administration Chris Bonvenuto and Vice President of Human Resources Sherri Lee-Lewis remained with custodial staff while SMPD gathered information, and subsequently released them to go home.

Regarding the Suspect, SMC Custodian Davon Durell Dean’s Criminal History

As shared by Dr. Jeffery in an October 15 memo, SMPD disclosed that Dean had prior arrests for crimes of violence—a fact which has received widespread media attention and raised questions—but these were arrests that did not result in convictions and were unknown to the SMC Human Resources Department because this information is restricted by law. The first bullet point below restates the information contained in Dr. Jeffery’s October 15 memo, and the ones that follow expands upon this information:

  • The college requires that all prospective employees, including temporary student workers, disclose previous criminal convictions; all employees are fingerprinted. The SMC Human Resources Department receives information on prior convictions from the California Department of Justice report; it does not include prior arrests that have not resulted in conviction. By law, the college is only able to consider convictions in our hiring decisions and are unaware of an applicant’s arrest history. Dean disclosed his convictions, which were property crimes and not crimes of violence.

  • Under the California Labor Code, public and private employers, including Santa Monica College, may not consider information related to an arrest that did not lead to a conviction. (Labor Code, §§ 432.7, subds. (a)(1), (2)). This is consistent with the constitutional principle that all individuals are presumed innocent until convicted beyond a reasonable doubt.

  • Unlike private employers, community colleges are required to examine the conviction history of prospective employees. The Education Code bars community colleges from hiring individuals with certain drug and sex offense convictions, unless there is verification of rehabilitation.

  • At the time Dean was hired in 2018, he disclosed two criminal convictions on his employment application. These convictions were not for disqualifying drug or sex offenses. The Department of Justice conviction information received by the SMC Human Resources Department confirmed his two convictions and no others: Dean’s convictions consisted of a 2007 misdemeanor offense for receiving stolen property and a 2009 infraction for loud and unreasonable noise. Given the 9-year period without further convictions, there was no basis to disqualify him from employment. At the time he was hired, Dean was employed by the City of Santa Monica as a facilities attendant.

  • There were no red flags in Dean’s employment history with the college and no basis for disciplinary action against him. His most recent evaluation, administered in January 2024 by Custodial Operations Manager Felicia Hudson, showed that he met or exceeded standards in all areas.

 Safety Measures at Santa Monica College – Recap of Vital Information:

The SMC Police Department is committed to protecting the college community. Trainings and information regarding emergency response are provided on a regular basis; there will be a heightened focus on these in the coming days and months. In the wake of the October 14 incident, SMCPD increased police presence on campuses although on-ground classes, services and operations were cancelled on October 15 and were moved to a remote/online environment from October 16 – 20 to allow the college community time to process the tragedy. SMCPD will continue to conduct high-visibility patrols around SMC campuses in the coming days.

Here is a reminder of some vital information:

  • SMCPD may be reached from any on-campus phone or by calling 310-434-4300. If a 911 call is placed from a personal/cell phone, the call will be routed to Santa Monica Police Department or another agency depending on the caller’s location, as was the case on the night of October 14. Learn more about how to contact SMCPD/local law enforcement.

  • LiveSafe is an app that was designed exclusively to allow all SMC colleagues and employees to communicate swiftly and discreetly (anonymously, if that is the preference) with SMCPD in real time. You can share information about any safety incidents or concerns—such as suspicious activity, theft, harassment, and more—and also engage in a live chat with a safety official, get a virtual “safe walk” with SMCPD tracking your location and ensuring you arrive safely, receive alerts, and much more. Learn more about LiveSafe and download the app.

Communications/Other Key Actions

The following summary highlights a few key actions—please note that this is not a comprehensive summary and does not include information on every specific event and action taken for various college constituency groups:

  • At 11:56 p.m. on October 14, SMC announced that all facilities would be closed on Tuesday, October 15 due to the shooting. Confirmed that one employee has been shot and law enforcement is actively searching for a suspect.
  • At 10:53 a.m. on October 15, Dr. Jeffery restated that employees were released from work on that day, and that all classes, events, and services were cancelled. She shared mental/emotional health resources for students and colleagues available immediately, with more information forthcoming.
  • At 1:12 p.m. on October 15, information on grief counseling services (in addition to EASE) was shared for college employees.
  • Around 5 p.m. on October 15, more support resources shared with SMC students.
  • Classes, services, and business operations will be online from October 16 – October 20, as announced around 5:11 p.m. on October 15 and reiterated in subsequent communications (on-ground, in-person classes, services, and operations resumed Monday, October 21).
  • At 7:18 p.m. on October 15, Dr. Jeffery informed the SMC community of the apprehension of the suspect by law enforcement.
  • Candlelight vigil held in Felicia Hudson’s memory on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. on the Main Campus Quad; a Celebration of Life followed on Friday, October 18 at 10 a.m., at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center, as shared by Dr. Jeffery on October 16 at 5:26 p.m. with a separate district-wide email invitation sent by Dean of Community & Academic Relations Kiersten Elliott.
  • Around 5 p.m. on October 17, Dr. Jeffery addressed the college community via a YouTube video shared on social media channels and via District email.
  • At 4 p.m. on October 18, the SMC community received a reminder that in-person, on-ground classes, services and operations will resume Monday, October21.
  • At approx. 8:16 p.m. on October 19, the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing and SMC Human Resources sent a reminder to SMC employees of support resources that would be available at Main Campus and CMD from October 21 – October 25, 2024. Services will include group therapy sessions for Maintenance, Grounds and Operations staff specifically (those directly impacted by this tragedy); individual drop-in counseling; mini therapy horses on the main quad to provide some much-needed relief; Departmental of Mental Health support; and more.
  • At approx. 9:30 a.m. on October 21, SMC students received a reminder of emotional and mental health resources available.

For More Information – Relevant Links

What’s Next

  • Activities are being planned to bring SMC colleagues together so we can share concerns and move forward towards healing; in collaboration with Associated Students, similar events are being planned for students.

  • SMC will be gathering feedback from our community in the days to come to inform our response as we review all existing protocols and procedures to ensure that our ongoing focus on safety is enhanced and strengthened.

~

Please continue to monitor your SMC email for updates—more updates will follow in the days ahead. Healing from a loss of this magnitude will not be easy. But we can get through it, together.

In solidarity,

--SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, Senior Administrators, and SMC Police Department