BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The Kern County District Attorney’s Office has filed criminal charges against the 15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting a 17-year-old boy during an Independence High School football game, with a detention hearing set for Wednesday morning.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer announced that the DA’s Office has filed criminal charges against the juvenile who allegedly shot and killed a 17-year-old boy on August 21, 2026, during a football game at Independence High School in Bakersfield.
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Bakersfield police announced the following day that a 15-year-old boy was arrested. The Kern County Coroner’s Office identified the teen killed as 17-year-old Levi Jermaine Carter Brown.
Candles, balloons and prayers filled the front of Independence High School as Bakersfield residents gathered for a vigil honoring 17-year-old Levi Brown. PHOTO: KBAK/KBFX
A detention hearing is set for Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the Juvenile Justice Center in Bakersfield.
In a release by the DA’s office, it said, “Juvenile hearings are typically closed to the public, but since this is a homicide case, it is anticipated that the courtroom will be open to the public.”
Following the hearing, DA Cynthia Zimmer will briefly address the media at Juvenile court to provide a case update.
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“As with any criminal case, a minor is presumed innocent unless and until the charges are proven in court beyond a reasonable doubt,” said in the release.