Suspected Campus Gunman Arrested at Airport, Attempting to Flee Country
Mt. San Jacinto College and three nearby campuses were locked down while law enforcement searched for the suspect.
It is believed that the alleged gunman was trying to flee the U.S.
A man suspected of pointing a gun at a female student at a community college in San Jacinto, California on Wednesday morning was apprehended later that same day at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He appears to have been attempting to flee the country.
The incident happened in the Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) cafeteria. Greg Abejon, 25, is accused of pointing a gun at the student and then walking out immediately afterward, reports CBSLA. No shots were fired.
MSJC’s San Jacinto campus and three other nearby San Jacinto Unified School District campuses were locked down while the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department searched for the suspected campus gunman. About 500 students and staff members on MSJC’s campus were ordered to shelter in place as officers searched the campus, reports KABC. All classes in the district were cancelled for the day.
“We’re very thankful for the quick response by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and its swift apprehension of the suspect,” said Dr. Roger Schultz, superintendent/president of MSJC. “With their full support and fast reaction, everyone was kept safe and then released in an orderly fashion. We appreciate everything they do for us and the community. We also thank our students, faculty and staff for their patience and cooperation during the lockdown. Safety of our students, employees and visitors is our utmost priority.”
The suspect’s father said his son is a Navy veteran who went to the V.A. assistance center on campus just before the incident. Abejon was referred to an off-campus site. The suspect’s father and friends say he doesn’t have a history of violence, reports CBSLA.
It’s unclear what charges Abejon will face.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department thanked LAX police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for helping apprehend Abejon.
MSJC classes resumed on Thursday.
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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