Hostage Situation at Riverside's Castleview Elementary School Leaves One Dead

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RIVERSIDE– A 27-year-old Riverside man was shot and killed by responding deputies after holding a female Castleview Elementary School teacher hostage on Tuesday morning.

At around 11:12 a.m. dispatchers received a call regarding a disturbance and altercation regarding a parent at Castleview Elementary School located at 6201 Shaker Drive. As officers were en route, multiple calls came in reporting that the incident was escalated into a barricaded hostage situation. Officers and school staff removed children from the school grounds to a safe location, while additional resourced began arriving, which included the METRO (SWAT) Team, Emergency Negotiators Team (ENT), Technical Services Unit (Bomb Squad), along with officers, detectives, and supervision from patrol, traffic, and other assignments.

Students and staff were evacuated to Castleview Park where the children’s families were made aware that they were there. METRO Team officers conducted a tactical operation around the building and ENT members attempted to make contact with the suspect. The suspect spoke with the ENT members, but the well-being of the teacher was unknown. Hours went by and the safety of the teacher was increasingly concerning. The METRO Team entered the classroom and rescued the teacher and an officer-involved shooting occurred. The suspect was shot and the teacher was rescued with only minor injuries. A male substitute teacher who attempted to help the teacher was also injured when trying to protect the teacher who was taken, hostage. He sustained a broken nose as well as other facial injuries. The suspect died as a result of his injuries.

The investigation was assumed by the Homicide Unit and Technicians from the Forensics Unit. The suspect was identified as Luvelle Kennon, 27, of Riverside. Superintendent of the Riverside Unified School District, Dr. David Hansen, stated “I want to begin by thanking the Riverside Police and Fire Departments, the City of Riverside, and all RUSD staff and administrators who have helped bring this situation to an end. Safety is our number one priority, and in this case, because of the quick work and collaboration of our first responders and RUSD staff, all students, and now all staff, are accounted for and safe.”

This investigation is on-going and there are no other details available at this time. Castleview Elementary School will remain closed for the rest of this week, and crisis counselors and support staff will be available for all students and staff affected by today’s incident.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Adrian Tillett at (951) 353- 7105 or Detective Karla Beler at (951) 353-7138.