Santa Monica College employee dies after being shot by colleague

A Santa Monica College employee died Wednesday after being shot earlier this week by another employee at the campus, authorities said.

Felicia Hudson, 54, of Newman, Georgia was shot at the college's Center for Media & Design on Monday evening and died from her injuries at about 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Santa Monica Police Department. She was a custodial operations manager at the campus, authorities said. Davon Durell Dean, 39, has been identified by police as the suspected killer.

He was a custodian at the campus, according to Santa Monica College.

"We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic loss of our colleague Felicia Hudson, who served the college for nearly three decades with dedication and heart. She took great pride in being a steadfast coworker and leader," Santa Monica College Superintendent and President Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery said in a statement.

"To Felicia's family, loved ones and friends, SMC extends our heartfelt condolences and prayers," Jeffery said. "The college will be conducting a thorough review of this incident. SMC is providing crisis counseling services to employees and students as we grieve our irreplaceable colleague."

The shooting happened around 9:50 p.m. Monday at the Center for Media & Design, located at 1660 Stewart Street, in what Santa Monica police have described as a "workplace incident" and not a random act of violence. Law enforcement officials continued searching for the suspect the following day while Hudson remained in critical condition at an area hospital.

Classes were canceled as the manhunt continued Tuesday. That afternoon, officers with the El Segundo Police Department followed a black sedan before reaching the area of Aviation Boulevard and 120th Street in the city. A SWAT team pinned the car to the side of the road, leading to a standoff that ended with Dean fatally shooting himself, police said.

Following his death, police identified Dean as the suspected gunman and said he was previously arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in 2011 and assault with a deadly weapon in 2019. He was previously convicted of misdemeanor property crimes, police said.

A suspected motive remains under investigation as police have not released further details.