California teen killed in shooting at high school | College News
Independence High School was set to kick off its soccer season against Kern County rival Centennial High, but recreation night time turned to tragedy.
A gang-related shooting claimed the life of 17-year-old student-athlete Levi Brown inside the stadium gates on Friday, Bakersfield police confirmed.
On Sunday, school officers confirmed that Brown didn’t attend Independence High. In a Facebook post, soccer coach Vince Carter mourned his participant, writing that Brown “was around the wrong crowd and was getting misled and misguided,” including, “it hurts to see this is how it ended.”
It stays unclear what school Brown attended.
Bakersfield police take a 15-year-old boy into custody Saturday in connection with the deadly shooting Friday night time at Independence High School.
(Bakersfield Police Department)
The shooting broke out around 8 p.m. following an argument just as the varsity squad was taking the sector, according to the soccer staff’s Instagram account.
Panic ensued as gunshots rang out. Video captured by KBAK/KBFX confirmed crowds of spectators and soccer gamers in full gear sprinting toward the exits. Responding officers took Brown to Kern Medical, where he was pronounced lifeless.
“We know that families look forward to coming out every Friday night to watch their kids play,” Bakersfield Police Officer Eric Celedon said at a news convention Friday. “This was an isolated incident, and we want to reinforce that school games in Bakersfield remain safe.”
Despite those assurances, the violent outbreak has left the neighborhood shaken.
“As a father who worked for the Kern high school district as a security guard, the district and the high school need to put a plan in place to prevent this from happening again,” said one guardian on Facebook. “We need to hold the school district accountable for this incident.”
On Saturday, police confirmed that they arrested the suspected shooter, a 15-year-old boy. It was not immediately clear if the shooter was a pupil at Independence High.
“Our hearts are with the family of the 17-year-old who lost his life, [and] all those impacted by this tragedy,” said the Police Department on X. “We have a strong community. That strength will carry us forward.”
Brown is survived by a 1-year-old daughter, Carter told the California Post.
“Levi had crazy potential, and I always believed [in] him,” Carter wrote on Facebook. “Get your rest, kid. I’ll always remember the last 7v7 you played and said, ‘Coach, thank you for believing in me.’ Always did and always will.”
Also on Friday, a scare occurred at L.A. Southwest College in San Pedro, where a loud noise triggered a stampede out of the stadium. Police later confirmed to ABC7 that no shooting happened.
Stay up to date with the latest news in school basketball! Our web site is your go-to source for cutting-edge school basketball news, recreation highlights, participant stats, and insights into upcoming matchups. We present daily updates to guarantee you may have access to the freshest data on staff rankings, recreation outcomes, injury reviews, and major bulletins.
Explore how these trends are shaping the future of the game! Visit us recurrently for the most participating and informative school basketball content by clicking right here. Our rigorously curated articles will keep you informed on event brackets, convention championships, teaching adjustments, and historic moments on the court.
