14 People Wounded in Shooting at Bakersfield House Party

Three young men who were told to leave a Bakersfield house party returned early Saturday morning and opened fire into a crowd of more than 100 teenagers, injuring 14 people, authorities said.

The shooting occurred about 1 a.m. in the 600 block of Stephens Drive and left two people in critical condition,  said Ray Pruitt, a spokesman for the Kern County Sheriff’s Department. All of the victims are expected to survive.

Pruitt described the suspects as black males between the ages of 16 and 19, but he said that as of Saturday night, no arrests had been made.

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Authorities believe a verbal confrontation took place between two different groups in the backyard of the house, and several people were told to leave the party.

“They did leave, and we believe it was those individuals who left the party that came back and opened fire on the crowd,” Pruitt said, adding that investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.

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Authorities also believe that at least one person in the crowd returned fire.

Pruitt said his department does not have a description of the vehicle, and deputies have been having difficulty getting victims and witnesses to identify the shooters.

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