A 15-year-old murder suspect remains detained as the school district tightens security for upcoming athletic events.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — A judge ordered a 15-year-old boy to remain detained Wednesday as prosecutors described new allegations in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Levi Jermaine Carter Brown during a high school football game in Bakersfield.
The teenager faces a first-degree murder charge in Brown’s Aug. 21 death at Independence High School, along with gang-related allegations, an allegation that he personally used a firearm causing death, a firearm-possession charge and an alleged probation violation. He denied the charges and allegations during his juvenile court appearance, the equivalent of entering a not-guilty plea. His next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.
Prosecutors said Brown was chased before he was shot and that investigators recovered 11 shell casings from the scene. They also said Brown was unarmed when authorities found him. The account presented in court brought new details to a case that has shaken Brown’s family and renewed concerns about security at high school sporting events. The allegations against the 15-year-old have not been proven in court.
The shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. while Independence High School was hosting Centennial High School. Bakersfield police said gunfire broke out inside the stadium gates, south of the football field, following an altercation involving a group of people. Officers found Brown suffering from gunshot wounds and took him to Kern Medical, where he later died. Police arrested the 15-year-old the following morning.
Investigators have said Brown and the accused teenager knew one another and that the shooting was not random. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer has described the case as gang-related. She said Wednesday that the accused teenager was affiliated with the Warlord Piru Bloods and that Brown was associated with the East Side Crips. Authorities also said neither teenager was enrolled at Independence or Centennial at the time of the shooting.
Brown’s relatives showed visible emotion as prosecutors outlined their account during Wednesday’s detention hearing. Local reporting from the courthouse said his mother left the courtroom during the proceedings after hearing details about the shooting. Relatives of Brown and members of the accused teenager’s family later exchanged heated words outside the courtroom before law enforcement separated the groups. No physical fight was reported.
Zimmer said California law requires the case to remain in juvenile court because the accused was 15 at the time of the shooting. She said that if he is found responsible for first-degree murder, the confinement term under the juvenile system could be about four to seven years. Zimmer criticized that limit while explaining that state law prevents prosecutors from transferring a person who was younger than 16 at the time of an alleged offense to adult criminal court.
Prosecutors also described the teenager’s prior involvement in the juvenile justice system. Chief Trial Deputy Gina Pearl said he had previously been found responsible for offenses involving a stolen vehicle and an assault with a deadly weapon and had been placed on probation. Pearl said his probation conditions prohibited him from possessing weapons and associating with known gang members. Those earlier cases are separate from Brown’s death and do not establish guilt in the current murder case.
The killing has also prompted a wider law enforcement response in Bakersfield. Police said officers have made several additional arrests while investigating possible retaliatory gang violence after Brown’s death. Those arrests are separate from the murder case. Authorities have reported recovering firearms, masks, gloves and other items during some of those investigations and said officers are working to prevent further violence connected to the broader gang conflict.
Kern High School District announced new security rules Wednesday for athletic events. The district said it will increase security and law enforcement staffing, require high school students to show valid school-issued identification and require younger students to attend with an adult. Backpacks will not be allowed, other bags may be searched and clear bags are recommended. Spectators have also been told to expect additional screening and possible delays when entering stadiums.
The district said its safety team reviewed emergency plans with school police and local law enforcement following the shooting. Bakersfield Police Chief Brent Stratton said earlier this week that his department had been working with district officials on security for upcoming games. Police have characterized the killing as an isolated event while acknowledging the fear created by violence at a place where families gather for school activities.
The 15-year-old remains in custody while the case proceeds in Kern County Juvenile Court. His readiness hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8, and police said the investigation into Brown’s death and the circumstances surrounding the shooting remains active.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.