Six People Dead Following Shooting in Bakersfield, California

A gunman in Bakersfield, Calif. killed his wife and four others before turning the gun on himself Thursday night.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Sep 13, 2018

Six people were shot and killed Wednesday night in Bakersfield, Calif. in what the Kern Sheriff's Office is calling a "mass shooting," according to local news sources.

The shooting began when the gunman went to a trucking business with his wife around 5:30 p.m. on the night of Sept. 12 to confront another man. Upon entering the business, the suspect shot the man before turning and shooting his wife.

The suspect then went after a man who fled from the scene, eventually tracking him down and killing him at a business nearby.

After these events, the suspect carjacked a vehicle with a woman and child inside. The two managed to escape without harm. The shooter then drove to a home in a nearby neighborhood where he open fired and killed to more men.

All five people died from their gunshot wounds.

"What we are trying to do is find out why this started and why so many players (are) involved, and the connection," Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood told reporters. "Obviously, these are not random shootings."

The sixth killing occurred when the suspect eventually turned the gun on himself as deputies closed in to confront him in a parking lot.

When asked if the incidents where considered a "mass shooting," the sheriff said, "absolutely."

"I'm certainly speculating right now," Youngblood said. "But at this point, I'm pretty comfortable saying there will be a connection between all these players."

Youngblood mentioned that they have body cam video from the officer who was closing in on the suspect, but hadn't had a chance to look at the footage yet.