Santa Monica College shooting suspect dead after standoff with police

Police identified and located a man Tuesday suspected of shooting a Santa Monica College employee, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. 

Santa Monica Police Department detectives identified the suspected shooter as Davon Durell Dean, a 39-year-old college employee. 

Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department located the suspect's vehicle near El Segundo and Aviation boulevards at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, which led to a short pursuit, according to police. A pursuit intervention technique was implemented to stop the suspect’s vehicle, police said.

"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," Santa Monica Police Department Chief Ramon Batista said. 

The Hawthorne Police Department's Crisis Negotiations Team attempted to get Dean to come out of his car, but he was found dead inside his car from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. 

"Our officers' commitment to the safety of the Santa Monica community is evident and remains paramount."

Dean was suspected of shooting an employee at the Santa Monica College Center for Media & Design in the 1600 block of Stewart Street, between Olympic Boulevard and Colorado Avenue, which occurred on Monday around 9:50 p.m., according to police. The employee hasn’t been identified and is in critical condition. 

Dean had a history of arrests, including attempted murder in 2011 and assault with a deadly weapon involving a firearm in 2019, according to police. However, Dean only had convictions for misdemeanor property crimes.

All of the college’s campuses were closed Tuesday as a result of the shooting. Classes, support services, and business operations will be conducted online through Sunday as a result of Monday’s shooting. 

Counseling and mental/emotional support is being made available to students and staff from Santa Monica College, Superintendent/President  Kathryn E. Jeffery said.

"At this heartbreaking time, I urge us all to come together in kindness and compassion as we navigate this unspeakable tragedy," Jeffery said in a statement.

The shooting investigation continues as detectives work to determine the motive leading up to the incident.

Anybody with information about the shooting was asked to call the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-395-9931 or 310-458-8495.

Employees can call 800-882-1341 to contact the Employee Assistance Service for Education program, which provides free, short-term counseling to SMC employees who may be experiencing emotional distress. The SMC Center for Wellness and Wellbeing can be reached at [email protected], or 310-434-4503, and a 24- hour student hotline is also available at 800-691-6003.