Bakersfield teen charged with murder had previously attacked mom with knife

Gabriel Torres Reyes, 15, faces first-degree murder charges for fatally shooting 17-year-old Levi Brown at a Bakersfield high school football game.

Gang member, 15, charged in fatal Bakersfield stadium shooting

A 15-year-old accused of fatally shooting a 17-year-old at a high school football game in Bakersfield, California, had previously threatened his mother with a knife and assaulted his stepfather, prosecutors disclosed Wednesday, according to NY Post Metro.

Gabriel Torres Reyes made his first appearance in juvenile court following the Friday shooting of Levi Brown at Independence High School. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer outlined the suspect's criminal history during the hearing, noting it began in July 2025 with a destructive joyride in a stolen vehicle.

Reyes faces charges of first-degree murder with special circumstances tied to alleged gang involvement, unlawful possession of a firearm, and violation of probation terms. Zimmer identified him as a member of the Warlord Piru Bloods street gang; Brown was affiliated with the rival East Side Crips.

Under California state law, no one aged 15 or younger can be tried as an adult. If convicted in juvenile court, Reyes would face four to seven years in custody — a range Zimmer described as far shorter than what an adult conviction would carry.

"It's not our choice … I'm not happy about it," Zimmer said after the hearing, as reported by KGET.

Judge Keenan Perkins ordered Reyes detained given the severity of the charges. A pre-trial readiness hearing is scheduled for September 8.

Six additional individuals were arrested in connection with the shooting on suspicion of gang-related offenses. The arrests followed a community vigil held Monday night in memory of Brown.

Brown's former coach at Garces Memorial High School, Vince Carter, remembered him as an "exceptional athlete" with "all the talent in the world."

"There's no doubt in my mind, he would have been a college football athlete," Carter said.

Brown was also the father of a one-year-old daughter.

Source: NY Post Metro