Bakersfield Football Game Shooting Kills 17-Year-Old at Independence High Stadium

Gunfire erupted as players took the field in Bakersfield

A 17-year-old student-athlete was shot and killed Friday night inside the gates of Independence High School in Bakersfield, California, as the school prepared to open its football season against Kern County rival Centennial High School, police said.

The victim was identified as Levi Brown. The shooting was gang-related and followed an argument at about 8 p.m., according to the Bakersfield Police Department. The violence began as the varsity football team was taking the field, turning a crowded Friday-night game into a chaotic evacuation.

Video aired by KBAK/KBFX showed spectators and players in full football gear running from the stadium after gunshots rang out. Officers responding to the campus found Brown suffering from gunshot wounds and took him to Kern Medical, where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.

Teen suspect taken into custody Saturday

Police said Saturday that a 15-year-old boy had been taken into custody in connection with Brown's death. Authorities did not immediately release the suspect's name because of his age, and it was not clear whether he attended Independence High School.

The investigation remained active, and police had not publicly detailed the argument that preceded the shooting or said whether additional people could face charges. The department described the killing as an isolated incident.

At a Friday news conference, Bakersfield Police Officer Eric Celedon acknowledged the fear created by gunfire at a school sporting event but said police still considered high school games in the city safe. “We know that families look forward to coming out every Friday night to watch their kids play,” Celedon said. “This was an isolated incident, and we want to reinforce that school games in Bakersfield remain safe.”

School says Brown was not an Independence High student

Although the shooting occurred at Independence High School, school officials said Sunday that Brown did not attend the campus. It was still unclear which school he attended.

Football coach Vince Carter mourned Brown in a Facebook post, describing him as a player with significant potential while saying he had been “around the wrong crowd” and was being “misled and misguided.” Carter said Brown had thanked him for believing in him after a recent 7-on-7 football event.

“Levi had crazy potential, and I always believed [in] him,” Carter wrote. Brown is survived by a 1-year-old daughter, Carter told the California Post.

The killing has intensified concerns among parents and residents about security at school athletic events, where families, students and visiting teams gather in large numbers on Friday nights. One parent who said he had worked as a security guard for the Kern High School District called online for the district to review its safety plans. The district oversees Independence High School through the Kern High School District.

Police said their thoughts were with Brown's family and others affected by the shooting. The 15-year-old suspect remained in custody as investigators continued to examine the fatal shooting at the Bakersfield football game.