Cameisha Clark

Dr. Cameisha Denise Clark, a 35-year-old Black woman, was a dedicated educator and a rising star in her field. Recently promoted to dean of student affairs at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in Inglewood, California, she was described by her family as a "radiant, joyful, driven, and compassionate woman who touched countless lives." A three-time graduate of Clark Atlanta University in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Clark was a trailblazer who, her family said, "believed in the potential of others even when they could not yet see it in themselves." Her passion for ending gun violence was deeply personal, as she had previously lost both her father and brother to it.

On the afternoon of Friday, May 2, 2025, a security guard entered an office on the Spartan College campus and opened fire. Dr. Clark and her 37-year-old assistant were both shot. First responders found the two women conscious and rushed them to local hospitals. While her assistant was listed in stable condition, Dr. Clark was critically injured. She fought for her life for three days before succumbing to her injuries on May 5, 2025, at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Authorities identified the gunman as Jesse Figueroa, a 40-year-old security guard from Monterey Park. He fled the campus after the shooting but was arrested in his car in Koreatown less than three hours later. Inglewood’s mayor described the attack as an act of targeted workplace violence, stating that Dr. Clark was the primary target and that the suspect had a disagreement with her. However, an official motive has not been released.

Figueroa was charged with murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm with a prior violent conviction, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison. In August 2025, Dr. Clark’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the college and the security company that employed Figueroa. The lawsuit alleged that the companies were negligent, claiming they failed to conduct a background check that would have revealed Figueroa’s prior criminal history and that his security guard license had expired more than a decade earlier.

In honor of her legacy, Clark Atlanta University established a $10,000 scholarship in Dr. Clark's name. As of March 2026, the criminal case against Jesse Figueroa was ongoing, and he was awaiting the setting of a date for a preliminary hearing. That same month, a judge dismissed Spartan College from the family's civil lawsuit, ruling that the claim against the school should be handled through a workers' compensation forum.