15-year-old charged with murder after shooting at high-school game in Bakersfield

Gabriel Torres Reyes, accused of firing the shot that killed Levi Brown inside the Independence High School stadium, made his initial juvenile court appearance as prosecutors outlined a pattern of violent behavior dating back to July 2025, including a stolen-vehicle rampage, a knife threat toward his mother and an assault on his stepfather. The Kern County District Attorney, Cynthia Zimmer, described Reyes as affiliated with the Warlord Piru Bloods, contrasting with Brown’s membership in the East Side Crips gang.

Charged with first-degree murder carrying special gang circumstances, unlawful firearm possession and a probation breach, Reyes could receive a four-to-seven-year sentence if convicted, a term far shorter than an adult conviction would impose. California law bars trying anyone 15 or younger as an adult, a limitation Zimmer expressed dissatisfaction with. Judge Keenan Perkins ordered Reyes to remain detained due to the seriousness of the allegations, and scheduled a pre-trial readiness hearing for Sept. 8. Brown’s former coach, Carter, recalled the teen’s potential as a college athlete, and noted that Brown was also a father to a one-year-old daughter.