Security guards usually arrive at the Spartan University of Aviation and Technology, where they reach the sound of planes ringing overhead.
Students said he began his shift later that day on a campus near Los Angeles International Airport, wearing a blue collared shirt as part of his uniform.
However, on Friday, a security guard, later identified as 40-year-old Jesse Figueroa, is allegedly armed with the handgun where he had shot and killed two women.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Figueroa with murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm previously violently convicted, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
The victims, both of whom were employees of the university and were shot dead in the administrative ward, authorities say. One woman who was injured but survived worked at an admissions office. The other was Kameisha Clark, who was recently promoted to dean, according to her family.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that the two injured women were breathing and still conscious. They were taken to a local hospital where police searched the shooter on campus.
Figueroa escaped from the scene in his car and was taken into custody in Koreatown three hours later, authorities say.
The shooting victims remain in the hospital. However, Clark died of injuries on Monday at Harbor Ukra Medical Center, according to her family. She was 35 years old.
Clark arrived in California a few years ago and promoted her career to promote her. She called her a pioneer and inspiration.
“Kameisha was the most caring, loving, fierce and loyal person,” her family said in a statement. “She was a brilliant, delighted, motivated and caring woman who was exposed to countless lives across the country, from her hometown of Atlanta to LA.”
Her family said her legacy should be defined not by her death, but “by the extraordinary way she lived.”
Clark received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and a doctorate in higher education from Clark Atlanta University.
“Kameisha has been fortunate enough to raise someone lucky enough to cross her path,” her family said. “Her deep sense of leadership, integrity and purpose helped shape the future of countless students, from the Clark-Atlanta University campus to Spartan College.
Authorities confirmed that Figueroa was working as a security guard for a third-party company on the Inglewood campus, but have not revealed any possible motives. Inglewood Mayor James Butts called the episode an act of “workplace violence” rather than a random shooting.
Chris Becker, president of the University of Spartan campus, said the school is helping with the investigation.
“We are deeply saddened and angry at what happened,” Becker said over the weekend, adding that counseling services and support are being arranged for students and staff.
On Wednesday there were few signs of shootings from outside the university’s property. School officials will not say if there is a memorial on campus to honor the victims of the shooting.
The student said she would say she would greet him as she occasionally saw Clark on campus and was heading down the road between industrial buildings.
“It’s really tragic,” the student who identified himself as Hector said from the sidewalk outside the management building.
Security has increased on campus since the shooting, and classes have continued to hold sessions, other students said.
Figureugeroa was convicted of robbery in 2007, records show. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and poses a crime threat in the same case, but court records show that these charges were dismissed for a plea deal.
Prosecutors argue that Figueroa uses a handgun to cause serious physical injuries and death. The strengthening of gun sentences places an additional 25-year life penalty in state prisons for each crime.
“Students, faculty, or employees should feel safe and secure in going to school,” Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement issued the charges.
