Man Killed By Riverside Police In Hostage Situation Was Unarmed

RIVERSIDE, CA – A parent who was killed after taking a Riverside teacher hostage this week, prompting an hours-long standoff, was unarmed, according to a report.

The suspect, identified as Luvelle Kennon, took Linda Montgomery, a longtime teacher, hostage at Castle View Elementary School after he struck a male substitute teacher, according Riverside police.

In a Press-Enterprise article on Wednesday, it was revealed that Kennon was unarmed when he was shot by police after negotiations failed.

Kennon barricaded himself and Montgomery in a classroom around 11 a.m. Tuesday. Emergency negotiators communicated with Kennon for hours trying to convince him to surrender before entering the classroom around 6 p.m., police said.

An officer-involved shooting involving the Riverside SWAT team ensued and the suspect was shot. Montgomery was unharmed but taking to a local hospital for an evaluation, police said.

A Police Department spokesperson told the Press Enterprise that "their major concerns included the fact that they were only intermittently able to speak with Kennon and that he wouldn’t allow them to see or speak to the hostage."

Montgomery had also been held hostage for roughly seven hours without food or water, the newspaper reported.

All students and staff were evacuated to Castle View Park immediately after the incident was reported, officials said.

This investigation is on-going and there are no other details available at this time.

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

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