500 feet from a party where 14 were shot but survived, one man dies from stray bullet, officials say

The gunmen stood in front of a group of people partying outside of the Bakersfield home and sprayed bullets.

Fourteen people were shot. Not one died.

But in defiance of what seem to be astronomical odds, 500 feet to the south, a man was killed by a stray bullet. Kern County sheriff’s spokesman Ray Pruitt said investigators believe that bullet was fired by someone at the party who was shooting back at the attackers.

The victim of the errant bullet, who has yet to be identified, was found dead three days after the July 16 shooting in the 600 block of Stephens Drive, Pruitt said.

The shooting occurred about 1 a.m. when a group of people were told to leave a house party and then returned with guns, he said. Authorities said the suspects were three males ages 16 to 19. At least two of them were armed with semiautomatic handguns.

Investigators determined the three would have been facing north when they opened fire on a huge crowd outside the home, Pruitt said. At least one person in that crowd pulled out a gun and shot back — aiming south, he said.

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It appears a stray bullet from the return fire went through the slain man’s apartment door and struck him, Pruitt said.

Cars and homes in the neighborhood were riddled with bullets and two people were critically injured — but the man appears to be the only person who died, officials said.

Pruitt said the party was initiated by a girl who lives at the home and was given permission to throw a party by her parents. She promoted the event on social media.

“At some point, people who were not invited showed up,” he said. The party swelled to at least 150 revelers and “got out of control,” Pruitt added.

Authorities believe a verbal confrontation took place between two 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.

The Sheriff’s Department said the incident was initially believed to be a drive-by shooting, but Pruitt said investigators now believe the three males got out of a vehicle, walked up to the crowd outside the home and opened fire before fleeing in the vehicle.

Witnesses told the Bakersfield Californian that the injured included a 13-year-old and that 30 rounds were fired.

“We just heard screaming,” Julie Burton told the paper, adding that the incident felt like the “OK Corral.”

No arrests have been made and there was no detailed description of the gunmen, Pruitt said.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

Times staff writer Matt Stevens contributed to this report.

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