UPDATED: RIVERSIDE: Man killed by SWAT members after taking 70-year-old elementary teacher hostage ID’d

UPDATE #3: Tuesday, Nov. 1, 12:30 a.m.

See original story, photographs and Riverside PD update below.

RIVERSIDE — Riverside Police officials have identified a parent who was fatally shot by SWAT members when they stormed a classroom to rescue a 70-year-old teacher the man had held hostage for more than six hours.

The barricaded stand-off and hostage crisis happened at Castle View Elementary School in Riverside, Tuesday, Oct. 31.

The man, identified as Luvelle Kennon, 27, of Riverside, died after being transported to Riverside Community Hospital, according to Riverside Police spokesman Ryan Railsback.

During the stand-off, Kennon had reportedly not allowed crisis negotiators to speak with the teacher being held hostage and officials had received no confirmation that the teacher was OK and uninjured.

The lack of information worried officials and added a sense of urgency for SWAT members to make entry into the barricaded classroom where Kennon had been holding the teacher since storming past school officials inside the campus’ administration building at 11:12 a.m.

The more-than six-hour stand-off ended when SWAT members stormed the barricaded classroom and rescued Linda Montgomery, who has been teaching at the elementary school for about 20 years.

“The teacher is safe,” Railsback explained in a press conference after the conclusion of the crisis.

Montgomery was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries and was in good condition, according to Railsback.

Officials had no updated information regarding a substitute teacher, who Kennon attacked and injured when he stormed through the school’s main office.

According to witnesses, Kennon punched the substitute teacher in the face when he “heroically” tried to stop the parent from bypassing the school’s security measures.

“This gentleman was heroic trying to do everything he could physically to prevent (Kennon) from getting into the classroom,” Railsback explained.

The substitute teacher, whose wife works at the school, was taken to a hospital with a broken nose and other facial injuries, according to Railsback.

As of midnight, officials were still at the school and their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the hours-long stand-off was expected to continue well into the next day.

Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents are assisting Riverside PD in their ongoing investigation.

This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.

 

UPDATE #2: Tuesday, Oct. 31, 10 p.m.

Man who took 70-year-old elementary teacher hostage killed after SWAT members storm classroom

RIVERSIDE — A man who held a 70-year-old teacher hostage during a barricaded stand-off was killed when SWAT members stormed the classroom where the man had been holding the teacher for more than six hours.

The hostage crisis, which brought an enormous response from Riverside PD and other area emergency first responders, happened at Castle View Elementary School in the City of Riverside.

According to witnesses at the scene, after SWAT members swarmed into the classroom and shot the suspect, he was taken away on a stretcher and then transported to an area hospital, where he later died, officials said Tuesday night.

Officials have not yet publicly released the man’s identity.

The teacher, Linda Montgomery – who has taught at the elementary school for about 20 years – did not sustain any serious injuries, but was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

A man identified as a substitute teacher and husband of one of the teachers at the school sustained a broken nose when he attempted to stop the suspect from gaining entry onto the campus.

Despite that staff member’s efforts, the suspect stormed past him and other school officials before taking Montgomery hostage.

That man, who has not been publicly identified yet, is now being hailed a hero by both law enforcement and School District officials.

“This person is also a hero,” said Riverside Police Public Information Officer Ryan Railsback. “He did everything he could to try to prevent the suspect from taking the teacher into the classroom and being held hostage, to the point where he got hit in the face pretty good.”

Riverside Police officials have now begun the lengthy process of trying to determine what caused the as-yet unidentified suspect to take Montgomery hostage. However, according to the man’s family he had suffered “some kind of emotional breakdown” before going to the school where his daughter was a first-grade student.

As the incident was still unfolding, Carl Jackson, who identified himself as the suspect’s uncle explained, “He had a breakdown and he relapsed again.”

All the students were safely evacuated from the campus and none were reported injured as a result of the hours-long crisis, but Castle View Elementary will remain closed for the remainder of the week.

Crisis counselors will be made available to all students, family members, teachers and other faculty, who need their assistance. They will be available at Taft Elementary School and the Central Registration Center through the rest of the week.

After the incident, District officials thanked the Riverside Police and Fire Departments, the City of Riverside, and all RUSD staff and administrators who helped bring this situation to an end.

“We are also grateful that our beloved teacher, Linda Montgomery, is safe, however, this situation remains tragic,” District officials said in a release after the stand-off was brought to an end. “Our hearts and prayers go out to all the students, friends, and family who have been affected by this situation.”

This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.

 

UPDATED: Tuesday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m.

Stand-off at elementary school ends after suspect shot by SWAT members

RIVERSIDE — A hostage situation and barricaded stand-off at an elementary school ended more than six hours after it began, when a SWAT team stormed a classroom where a parent was holding a 70-year-old teacher hostage, Tuesday, Oct. 31.

The incident, which resulted in at least three people being injured, including the teacher and suspect, happened at Castle View Elementary School in Riverside.

The teacher who was held hostage was identified by her daughter Michelle Montgomery as 70-year-old, Linda Montgomery. According to Michelle, her mother has taught students at the school for about 20 years. She did not sustain serious injuries as a result of the stand-off, but was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

The alleged suspect was reportedly shot by SWAT officers when they stormed the classroom. His condition was not immediately released after the incident.

A third person, believed to be the husband of a teacher, suffered a broken nose when he reportedly attempted to stop the alleged hostage-taker.

All three were transported to an area hospital.

The school, located at 6201 Shaker Drive, east of Alessandro Boulevard and west of Canyon Crest Drive, opened in 1967 and has around 600 students, about 25 teachers and a total staff of about 50, according to a recent poll about the school.

A day of fun turns into a terrifying ordeal for those involved

The day of the incident, students arrived at the campus excited to participate in the school’s “Crazy Hair Day” in celebration of Halloween.

The incident began as an unknown type of disturbance about 11:12 a.m., while the school’s first and second graders were eating lunch.

According to witnesses, the 27-year-old man – who was having “some kind of emotional breakdown” and whose daughter attends the school as a first grader – rushed into the school administration office and forced his way past staff members and others, according to Riverside Unified School District Public Information Officer Justin Grayson.

A man believed to be a teacher’s husband – who was inside the office when the alleged suspect stormed through – attempted to stop the man, but the suspect punched him in the face and pushed his way past school officials.

According to one parent who was at the school picking up her children, after the man stormed past administrators inside the main office, the school’s principal Tiffany Farris reportedly yelled that the man was not allowed inside the campus. When the man refused to stop, she ordered the campus to be placed on immediate lock-down and called 911 to report the incident.

The man reportedly then walked to the classroom where he barricaded himself with Montgomery, holding her hostage.

It was not immediately known if the man was armed and witnesses reported the man was carrying a backpack; however, he was not seen with any weapons.

Officials have not stated if the teacher taken hostage was the teacher of the alleged suspect’s daughter or why he chose that specific classroom to barricade himself inside of.

Frantic parents rush to school to check on their children

As the crisis was unfolding and the community began to hear about the hostage situation, many parents rushed to the school to check on their children and try to remove them from the school.

One such parent, SandiKay Barber-Alvarez, who has a sixth-grader that attends the school and lives nearby, told media at the scene she rushed to the campus when she heard all the law enforcement activity.

When she arrived at the campus, Barber-Alvarez saw police and other emergency first responders streaming into the normally quiet neighborhood where the school is located and saw a bloodied man being led to an ambulance.

The man appeared to have a broken nose and had blood running down his face and the front of his shirt.

“He had a breakdown and he relapsed again.”

According to family members of the alleged hostage-taker who were interviewed while the stand-off continued, the suspect had “some kind of breakdown” the morning of the incident. His family took away his car keys and tried to convince him not to go to the school, but he went to the campus anyway.

“He had a breakdown and he relapsed again,” Carl Jackson, who identified himself as the suspect’s uncle explained.

Jackson described his nephew as “a good kid, just having an emotional breakdown. That’s all, he’s not dangerous.”

It was not immediately known if the suspect’s family contacted school officials to warn them that the suspect was heading to the school’s campus.

An overwhelming response

As the stand-off continued, the neighborhood surrounding the school quickly filled with countless police officers, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency first responders.

A Riverside PD Air Support Unit monitored the situation while circling overhead in one of the department’s helicopters, “Air-1.”

The police department brought an armored tactical rescue vehicle to the scene, which was later used to help heavily armed SWAT members move within close proximity to the classroom where the barricaded stand-off was happening.

In addition to numerous Fire Department vehicles and American Medical Response ambulances that responded to the scene, an AMR Tactical Emergency Medical Services Team ambulance, which assists the Department’s SWAT members during critical incidents, responded to the crisis.

Police officials also brought the Department’s mobile command center to assist in coordinating the huge law enforcement response. Members from the Department’s bomb squad also responded to the scene.

Students evacuated before SWAT members end the stand-off

Police and school officials eventually evacuated all students and staff members from the campus, moving them to nearby Castleview Park.

Officials began releasing the evacuated students to their parents about 1 p.m., nearly five hours before SWAT members eventually stormed the classroom and ended the stand-off.

All students had been accounted for and none had been reported injured, according to Grayson.

Riverside SWAT members eventually used flash-bang diversionary explosive devices when they stormed the classroom around 5:50 p.m.

The suspect was injured in an officer-involved shooting and was taken to a local hospital. Officials did not release his condition or the extent of his injuries.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to all the students affected by this situation.”

According to a District release after the conclusion of the stand-off, Castle View Elementary School will remain closed for the remainder of the week.

Counseling and support for all Castle View students will be available to anyone who requires assistance. Resources will be available at Taft Elementary School and the Central Registration Center through the rest of the week.

After the incident, District officials thanked the Riverside Police and Fire Departments, the City of Riverside, and all RUSD staff and administrators who helped bring this situation to an end.

“We are also grateful that our beloved teacher, Linda Montgomery, is safe, however, this situation remains tragic,” District officials said in a release after the stand-off was brought to an end. “Our hearts and prayers go out to all the students, friends, and family who have been affected by this situation.”

Riverside PD Press conference after conclusion of incident:

Riverside Unified School District announcement:

ALL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, and have been safely evacuated to Castleview Park (Corner of Westview Dr. and Glen Aire Ave.). At this time, STUDENTS ARE BEING RELEASED TO PARENTS/guardians with proper photo identification.

Riverside Unified School District announcement:

The situation at Castle View has been resolved. All students and all staff (including the teacher who was held hostage) are safe. Unfortunately, there was an officer involved shooting of the suspect at the school. His condition is unknown at this point. Because of this tragic incident, Castle View Elementary School will be closed for the rest of the week. Counseling support for the students of Castle View will be available to anyone who requires assistance. Resources will be available at Taft Elementary School and the Central Registration Center through the rest of the week. The safety of our more than 4,000 employees and 42,000 students is a top priority across all of the schools in our District. Our schools undergo regular training to prepare for an emergency like this. We want to thank 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. We are also grateful that our beloved teacher, Linda Montgomery, is safe, however, this situation remains tragic. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the students, friends, and family who have been affected by this situation.

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This is a developing story that will be updated as additional information becomes available.

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, who recently moved from Riverside County to Shasta County, runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, The Valley Chronicle and Anza Valley Outlook as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.