On May 31, 2023, 20-year-old Austin Ryan House of Cabazon, California, was fatally shot near Banning High School in Banning, California. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. while a graduation ceremony was underway at the school's Performing Arts Center. A school resource officer observed a masked individual firing into a black sedan traveling eastbound on Westward Avenue in front of the high school. The vehicle, driven by House, collided with a light pole and came to a stop.
Despite prompt medical attention, House succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds at the scene.
The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Daveyon Dickie Lee Woodley of Banning, fled the scene but was apprehended shortly thereafter. Officers found Woodley hiding under a vehicle inside a nearby garage, and a loaded handgun was recovered just outside the garage. He was arrested without further incident.
Woodley was charged with first-degree murder, a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, discharging a firearm in a school zone, and additional firearm and great bodily injury enhancements. He was held without bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities have not disclosed any prior connection between Woodley and House.
The tragic event prompted increased security measures for subsequent school events, including the Banning High School senior graduation ceremony. The Banning Unified School District offered counseling services to those affected by the incident and worked closely with law enforcement during the investigation.
Austin House was remembered by family and friends during visitation and funeral services held on June 20 and 21, 2023, at Weaver Mortuary in Beaumont, California. He was laid to rest at Montecito Memorial Park in Colton, California.
