It was a typical June day in Santa Monica, California—a hazy morning shrouded in what area weather forecasters like to call “June Gloom.” With summer vacation days away, children in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were immersed in end-of-the year celebrations, while students at the high school and the city’s community college were preparing for graduation. Across town at a private residence, U.S. President Barack Obama was speaking at a fundraiser. But, by the day’s end, a violent incident would ultimately test the resolve of the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), the city’s educational stakeholders, and the community at large.