Prosecutors described a chase and multiple shots as a 15-year-old accused of killing Levi Brown appeared in juvenile court.
BAKERSFIELD, CA — New details about the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Levi Jermaine Carter Brown during a high school football game brought an emotional response from his family Wednesday as prosecutors outlined their case against a 15-year-old boy accused of killing him.
Brown was shot Aug. 21 on the campus of Independence High School while the school was hosting a football game against Centennial High School. At a juvenile court hearing Wednesday, prosecutors said investigators recovered 11 shell casings and described Brown as being chased before he was shot. Prosecutors also said Brown was unarmed when he was found. The account added new details to a case that has shaken families in Bakersfield and prompted new security measures at school athletic events.
Brown’s relatives reacted with grief and anger as the allegations were described in court. His mother left the courtroom during the proceedings, according to local reporting. Outside the courtroom, relatives of Brown and relatives of the accused teenager exchanged heated words before law enforcement officers separated the groups. No physical fight was reported. Brown’s family has said that whatever challenges he faced, he did not deserve to be killed.
The 15-year-old has been charged with first-degree murder with special circumstances and a gang enhancement, along with an allegation that he personally used a firearm to cause death, according to the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors also filed charges involving possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and an alleged probation violation. The allegations have not been proven, and the teenager’s case is proceeding through juvenile court.
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said prosecutors consider the shooting gang-related. Authorities have described the accused teenager as associated with the Warlord Piru Bloods and Brown as an associate of the East Side Crips. Police previously said the shooting followed an altercation and was targeted rather than random. Brown and the accused teenager were not students at Independence or Centennial at the time of the shooting, Zimmer said.
Zimmer also said the accused teenager had previously been involved in the juvenile justice system. Prosecutors described earlier offenses that they said had grown more serious over time, including a prior assault conviction. Those earlier cases are separate from the murder charge now before the court and do not establish guilt in Brown’s killing.
The case has also drawn attention to California law governing serious crimes committed by young teenagers. Because the accused is 15, prosecutors said state law requires the case to remain in juvenile court rather than being transferred to adult criminal court. Zimmer said a first-degree murder finding in the juvenile system could result in roughly four to seven years of confinement under the circumstances described by her office. She publicly criticized that limit after Wednesday’s hearing, while acknowledging that prosecutors must follow existing state law.
Police have made several other arrests since Brown’s death as officers investigate the possibility of retaliatory gang violence. Authorities have said those arrests are not direct arrests for Brown’s killing. In separate cases, officers reported recovering firearms and other items from people they identified as gang members or associates. Some adults charged in connection with suspected retaliatory activity have pleaded not guilty.
The killing has also changed security procedures for upcoming school sporting events. The Kern High School District announced Wednesday that it would increase security and law enforcement presence at athletic venues. High school students will be required to show school-issued identification, younger students must be accompanied by an adult, backpacks will be prohibited, and other bags may be searched. The district also recommended clear bags and said spectators should expect additional screening and possible delays when entering venues.
Superintendent Michael Zulfa said after the shooting that the district community was grieving and that a football game meant to bring students and families together had instead ended in tragedy. The district has said it is reviewing emergency procedures with its police department and other local law enforcement agencies as athletic events continue.
The accused teenager is scheduled to return to juvenile court Sept. 8 for a readiness hearing. Bakersfield police continue to investigate Brown’s killing and the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Prosecutors have asked witnesses or anyone with information about what happened at Independence High School to contact investigators.
Author note: Last updated August 27, 2026.