Felicia Hudson, victim of campus shooting, has passed away
Updated at 6:04 p.m. on Oct. 16:
At 5:37 p.m., SMC Superintendent and President Kathryn Jeffery announced the heartbreaking news that the victim of the CMD shooting, SMC’s Custodial Operations Manager, Felicia Hudson, passed away today, Oct. 16.
It’s reported that Hudson died from injuries sustained after the incident.
In Hudson’s honor, SMC will be establishing the Felicia Hudson Legacy Fund. A sunset vigil will be hosted on the Main Campus Quad on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m., and a Celebration of Life will be held at the at the Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at the SMC Performing Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m.
The school will continue to support its students and faculty with extra opportunities.
The Center for Wellness and Wellbeing (CWW) is offering virtual services for the rest of the week, while staff from the CWW will be holding group processing sessions on Zoom this Thursday, Oct. 17, and Friday, Oct. 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
In-person support is available by appointment on the CMD campus. The Department of Mental Health will be on campus for the duration of next week to support students, faculty, and staff.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, and Wednesday, Oct. 23, SMC will be bringing in therapeutic support animals during activity hour from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on the Main Campus Quad.
The SMC-exclusive 24/7 Emotional Support Hotline can be reached at 800-691-6003. Crisis and grief counselors are also available 24/7 at 877-841-1080.
Monday night, at approximately 9:50 p.m., a longtime Santa Monica College (SMC) employee was shot at the CMD campus. The employee, a Custodial Operations Manager, was severely injured and transported to a local hospital, currently in critical condition.
Ongoing classrooms in lectures were caught by surprise. While teaching a Sportscasting Fall Sports course, broadcasting professor Mike Carlucci “heard gunshots, screaming and yelling. …It was bizarre.”
The incident was classified by SMC Chief of Police Johnnie Adams as “an act of workplace violence,” which is defined as an act of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or threats that occurs at a place of employment. According to Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton, the male suspect is believed to have known the victim beforehand.
Forces from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), SMC police, and Santa Monica Fire Department quickly arrived at the scene. Students and faculty in lockdown were retrieved by authorities and permitted leave. At this time, the suspect was at large.
All SMC classes and events planned for Oct. 15 were canceled around midnight, including the Guelaguetza at the Latino Center. Affected by the cancellation, band director Pablo Bautiste was “caught off guard since it was so sudden. We were all getting ready and had everything set. …It would’ve been a great event.”
The suspect was soon identified as Davon Durell Dean, a 39-year-old employee of SMC. Dean’s criminal record includes an attempted murder arrest in 2011, a firearm assault arrest in 2019, and several convictions for misdemeanor property crimes. SMC Human Resources claims they were only aware of Dean’s misdemeanors. The college alleges they remain “unaware of an applicant’s arrest history” in their hiring decisions.
On Oct. 15, at approximately 3 p.m., Dean’s vehicle was identified in El Segundo by the SMPD and Hawthorne Police Department. Using a pursuit intervention technique, the vehicle’s motion was ceded. A standoff ensued, barring access to Aviation Boulevard between 124th Street and El Segundo Boulevard. Inside the vehicle, Dean was found deceased from a gunshot wound, presumably self-inflicted.
SMC canceled all in-person classes and student support services for the remainder of the week until Oct. 20, transitioning to remote instruction with extra supportive measures in place.
At the time of publishing, the situation remains an ongoing case that SMPD and SMC continue to analyze. The school assures that “there are no known additional suspects involved, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.”
The Corsair extends their love and support to the victim and her family.