President Kathryn E. Jeffery said the college is only able to consider convictions by law, not arrest history.
A college employee accused of shooting and killing his manager on campus had previously been arrested on attempted murder and deadly weapons charges, police revealed.
On Monday, Davon Durell Dean, 29, allegedly shot Felicia Hudson, a 54-year-old custodial operations manager, at Santa Monica College’s satellite campus. Hudson was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but died Wednesday from her injuries, according to KTLA.
Dean, who was a janitor at the college, fled the scene and later committed suicide in his vehicle. While the motive of the shooting is still unknown, investigators are calling it a “workplace violence incident,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Santa Monice Police said that Dean had previously been arrested for attempted murder in 2011, as well as assault with a deadly weapon in 2019. However, his convictions only consisted of misdemeanor property crimes, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.
Santa Monica College confirmed that Dean’s criminal convictions had been shared with the institution, however Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, the school’s president, told NBC Los Angeles that the college is only able to consider convictions by law, not arrest history, which they were unaware of.
Jeffery said in a statement that Hudson, originally from Newman, Georgia, “served the college for nearly three decades with dedication and heart.” The Santa Monica College Foundation along with Hudson’s family have created a legacy fund to “uplift those in need,” the website stated.
Source: Latin Times