15-Year-Old Charged with Murder in Bakersfield High School Shooting
A 15-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder over the fatal shooting of Levi Brown, 17, at an Independence High School football game in Bakersfield.
Teen Faces Murder Charges Over Fatal Bakersfield Football Game Shooting
A 15-year-old boy appeared at a detention hearing Wednesday morning at the Juvenile Justice Center in Bakersfield, charged with the murder of 17-year-old Levi Jermaine Carter Brown, who was shot and killed during a football game at Independence High School on Friday, 21 August, bakersfieldnow.com reports.
The Kern County District Attorney's Office filed three charges against the teen: first-degree murder with special circumstances, a gang enhancement, and an additional enhancement for personally using a firearm to cause death. He also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and a probation violation.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer described the case as gang-related, involving the Warlord Piru Bloods and the East Side Crips. Neither the suspect nor the victim were students at either of the schools hosting the football game, Zimmer confirmed. The suspect had originally been enrolled at Ridgeview High School.
Despite the severity of the charges, California law requires the case to remain in Juvenile Court because the suspect is under 16. If convicted of first-degree murder, the potential confinement term is four to seven years.
Zimmer addressed the public directly on the matter. "I'm sure people have questions: Why is this case, this heinous case being tried in Juvenile Court?" she said. "Is this the District Attorney's choice? No, it is not. It is the law."
She pointed to Senate Bill 1391, enacted in 2018 and signed by Governor Jerry Brown, which prohibits prosecutors from trying anyone under the age of 16 in adult court. "No matter if they killed one person, 10 persons, it doesn't matter," Zimmer said. "It is not our choice; I'm not happy about it."
Chief Trial Deputy and Supervisor of Juvenile Court Gina Pearl also spoke after the hearing, outlining the suspect's prior criminal history. Zimmer noted that past offences had been "escalating in seriousness," including a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon — specifically, a knife used against his own mother.
Pearl detailed a further incident from last July, when the suspect "was caught in a stolen vehicle." She said he used the vehicle to joyride for approximately six hours before crashing into multiple properties. He was released shortly after, and assaulted his mother days later, according to Pearl.
Zimmer also noted that the suspect "has a record here in Juvenile Court," without elaborating on the full list of prior cases.
A vigil for Brown was held outside Independence High School, where Bakersfield residents gathered with candles, balloons, and prayers in his memory.
The suspect's readiness hearing is scheduled for 8 September and will be open to the public at the Juvenile Court in east Bakersfield. Anyone with information from the night of the shooting is asked to contact the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
The name of the suspect has been withheld due to his age.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)