Security guard charged with murder, attempted murder in shooting at Inglewood aviation training school
Security guard charged with murder, attempted murder in shooting at Inglewood aviation training school
INGLEWOOD — A security guard accused of shooting two people at an aeronautics and aviation training school in Inglewood was charged Tuesday with murder and attempted murder.
Jesse Figueroa, 40, of Monterey Park, was also charged with possession of a firearm with a prior violent conviction and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to court records.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in an Inglewood courtroom on May 29, when a bail hearing will also be held. In court Tuesday, Figueroa’s bail was increased from $1 million to $5.03 million, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The shooting occurred about 3:45 p.m. Friday inside an office on the campus of the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in the 8900 block of Aviation Boulevard, between Arbor Vitae Street and Hillcrest Boulevard, authorities said.
Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts told reporters Saturday that Figueroa was recently hired as a security guard at the campus. He said the victims were both women — one a dean at the college and the other her receptionist or assistant. According to Butts, the 35-year-old dean was taken to a hospital in critical condition, possibly brain dead, while the other 37-year-old victim was injured but stable.
The dean has since died, according to prosecutors. The names of the victims have not been released by authorities.
But the dean’s family identified her as Cameisha Clark, saying she died Monday.
“We are beyond devastated,” Clark’s family told NBC4. “Cameisha’s life was taken from us far too soon, in an act of senseless violence that no woman should ever have to endure. She was an amazing person who didn’t deserve this. She was living her best life, doing the work she loved.
“Cameisha was the most compassionate, loving and fiercely loyal person. She was a radiant, joyful, driven, and compassionate woman who touched countless lives across the country from her hometown of Atlanta, GA to L.A.
“Her legacy is defined not by the manner of her death, but by the extraordinary way she lived. She was a trailblazer and an inspiration, having recently been promoted to a dean at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Inglewood. Cameisha uplifted everyone fortunate enough to cross her path. Her leadership, integrity, and deep sense of purpose helped shape futures of countless students from the campus of Clark Atlanta University to Spartan College. She believed in the potential of others even when they could not yet see it in themselves.”
Butts told CBS2 that the “main victim was the dean,” calling the shooting a case of workplace violence.
“He was a current employee at the college … had some disagreement about something he felt that the dean had done,” Butts told the station.
Spartan College Inglewood Campus President Chris Becker issued a statement Saturday saying, “We are deeply saddened and upset by what transpired. Our thoughts are with our two staff members who are in medical care and their families during this time. Counseling services and support are being arranged for students and staff for the coming days.”
Police swarmed the campus following the shooting. Butts said a 9mm shell casing was found at the scene and noted that DNA or fingerprint evidence may be present on it.
The suspect was contacted and detained by Los Angeles Police Department officers in that city at about 6 p.m. Friday, according to Inglewood police. Authorities said a gun was found in his vehicle.
“Any student, faculty member or employee should feel safe and secure going to school,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
“This horrific act of gun violence has shaken Spartan College and our entire community. We will file all appropriate gun enhancements in this case and send a clear message to criminals that violence will not be tolerated in Los Angeles County.”
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