17-year-old killed in shooting at Bakersfield high school football game

Gunfire erupted during a gang-related fight at a high school football game in California — leaving a 17-year-old boy dead and a 15-year-old boy charged in his slaying.

The shooting took place around 8 p.m. Friday at Independence High School in Bakersfield, where a KGET photojournalist heard seven or eight shots fired, the TV station reported.

Chaos ensued as attendees scrambled for safety, TV station KTLA said, and police officers found the victim, who was rushed to Kern Medical in Bakersfield and pronounced dead, according to Spectrum News 1.

The game between Independence and local rival Centennial High School was canceled, KTLA reported.

An unconfirmed report identified the victim as a former high school quarterback.

In a statement to The Independent, the Bakersfield Police Department said Saturday that it had arrested a 15-year-old boy and charged him with murder and participation in a criminal street gang.

Police said that the victim and the suspect, who was charged as a juvenile, knew each other and that the slaying “was not a random act of violence.”

“Our deepest sympathies remain with the family and loved ones of the 17-year-old who tragically lost his life. We also recognize the impact this incident will have on the family of the 15-year-old who was arrested,” the police statement said. “Two young lives and two families have been forever changed by an act of violence, and we extend our compassion to everyone affected by this tragedy."

The department also posted a photo of the unidentified suspect in handcuffs on social media, along with a message that said in part, “We have a strong community. That strength will carry us forward.”