Santa Monica College shooting suspect dies by suicide amid standoff, authorities say

The suspect in a shooting at Santa Monica College died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound during a standoff with law enforcement in El Segundo on Tuesday, authorities said.

Davon Durell Dean, 39, worked at the college and was suspected of shooting a fellow employee around 10 p.m. Monday at the SMC Center for Media & Design, according to a news release from the Santa Monica Police Department.

Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department located the suspect’s vehicle near El Segundo and Aviation boulevards around 3 p.m Tuesday and, following a brief pursuit, surrounded the vehicle, according to Santa Monica police.

Durrell was found dead inside his car, despite intervention efforts by crisis negotiators with the Hawthorne Police Department, police said.

In 2011, Durrell was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, and in 2019, he was arrested for alleged assault with a deadly weapon. However, his only convictions were for misdemeanor property crimes, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. An investigation into the events leading up to his death is ongoing, but the department does not believe there are additional suspects.

The victim of Monday night’s shooting remained hospitalized in critical condition on Tuesday evening, according to the department.

“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 Chief Ramon Batista said in a statement. “Our officers’ commitment to the safety of the Santa Monica community is evident and remains paramount.”

Monday’s shooting took place at a satellite campus on Stewart Street that also is home to public radio station KCRW. But on Tuesday, all Santa Monica College campuses were closed as Kathryn E. Jeffery, the college superintendent and president, urged community members to take advantage of free counseling resources provided by the school.

“As we try to make sense of this horrific act of workplace violence, the safety of our community is our primary focus,” said Johnnie Adams, chief of police for the Santa Monica Community College District, in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to SMCPD personnel and all our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to apprehend the suspect.”