A 16-year-old boy is dead after gunfire erupted at a large party in southwest Bakersfield, according to Bakersfield police. Officers responded to reports of several gunshots near a gathering in the 3500 block of South Half Moon Drive, where they found the teen suffering from major injuries related to the shooting.
The boy was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he later died, BakersfieldNow reports. Police have not yet released his identity, saying officials plan to share that information at a later time. A suspect or suspects remain at large, according to police, and detectives are now leading an investigation that remains ongoing.
Police Ask Public for Tips
Investigators have not disclosed what led to the shooting or how many people may have been involved. Officials said they will release further details as they become available, and are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
The shooting adds to what BakersfieldNow has described as a string of teen-involved shootings in Kern County over the last several months. In a separate case, a 16-year-old boy was killed and three other juveniles were injured in another Bakersfield-area shooting, with investigators from the Kern County Sheriff's Office working to identify a suspect, the station reported.
A Pattern That Has Educators and Experts Worried
Bakersfield College criminal justice professor Tommy Tunson told the station that firearm access for teens often begins close to home. “The primary way that I believe is through parents and through the home,” Tunson said, explaining that teens can get hold of their parents' guns when the weapons are not properly stored. Tunson also said he has noticed more youth gaining access to firearms over roughly the last five years.
Other recent Bakersfield-area shootings have put teenagers at the center of tragedy. In August, a gang-related shooting at a football game at Independence High School killed 17-year-old Levi Brown inside the stadium, according to the Los Angeles Times. Responding officers took Brown to Kern Medical, where he was pronounced dead; police said the shooting followed an argument and called it an isolated incident. A 15-year-old boy was arrested in connection with that shooting the following day.
Separate Party Shooting Left Another Teen Dead
In a different case, a shooting at a large party in the 2300 block of Westhaven Avenue left one teenager dead and another injured, according to Turn to 23. Officers who responded at 12:28 a.m. found a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old suffering from gunshot wounds, Bakersfield.com reported; the 17-year-old, identified as John Avery Davis of Bakersfield, died at Kern Medical, while the 16-year-old remained in critical condition. Police said there was no suspect information available for public release in that case, and the shooting remained under investigation.
For now, Bakersfield police continue to seek leads in the death of the 16-year-old boy killed at the southwest Bakersfield party, with no suspect identified and the investigation still active.
