A woman was shot and killed and two others were wounded early Sunday when gunfire broke out at a large gathering in the 4000 block of Rosedale Highway in Kern County. Deputies responding to a report of an armed robbery in progress found three adult women with gunshot wounds, one of whom died at the scene.
According to KBAK / Bakersfield Now, deputies responded at 12:34 a.m. after reports of an armed robbery in progress at the gathering. When they arrived, they discovered three adult women suffering from gunshot wounds. One woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to the hospital with injuries described as not believed to be life-threatening.
The outlet reports that several hundred people fled the gathering as the chaos unfolded, though the exact size or nature of the event has not been further detailed. The Kern County Sheriff's Office had not released the identities of the victims or any information about a possible suspect as of the report.
Investigators Appeal for Tips
With no suspect information yet made public, investigators are relying on the public for leads. The sheriff's office is asking anyone with information to call 661-861-3110, and tipsters who wish to remain anonymous can instead contact Kern Secret Witness at 661-322-4040.
The shooting adds to a string of violent incidents tied to large gatherings and public spaces across California in recent days. In southwest Bakersfield, a 16-year-old boy was killed at a large party, with police responding to the area at about 3:35 a.m. Saturday and finding the teen with major injuries, according to bakersfield.com. The boy later died at the hospital. Detectives were still seeking leads in that case, per a separate report from Bakersfield Now.
Pattern of Violence at Large Events
Elsewhere in the state, a targeted shooting at a Spirit Halloween store inside the Solano Town Center mall in Fairfield killed one person and injured six others Friday night, touching off a manhunt, according to NBC News. Fairfield police later identified the woman killed in that shooting as 31-year-old Constance Hages.
The Rosedale Highway shooting comes amid mixed signals about the trajectory of gun violence in Kern County. The Kern County District Attorney's Office reported 76 homicides countywide in 2025, down from 82 the year before, continuing what officials described as a downward trend, bakersfield.com reported. Separately, KGET 17 News cited officials saying Bakersfield's gun-violence rates were on pace for the lowest level in city history, with 10 homicides recorded in the city as of October 2026 — figures that reflect different jurisdictions and time frames and should not be read as directly comparable.
No arrests or suspect descriptions had been announced in connection with the Rosedale Highway shooting. The sheriff's office continues to ask anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
