Bakersfield shootings: All victims, gunman identified after deadly rampage in Kern County

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A gunman and all five victims killed in the Bakersfield shootings were identified Thursday after the shooter went on a rampage in Kern County, killing his wife and four others before turning the gun on himself.





At a Thursday morning press conference, Sheriff Donny Youngblood identified the gunman as 54-year-old Javier Cazarez, who used a .50-caliber handgun in the shooting spree.



According to the sheriff, Cazarez and his wife, who has been identified by authorities as Petra Casarez, were going through a divorce and she had recently requested a change in the proceedings.

FULL PRESS CONFERENCE


The deadly series of events was first reported around 5:20 p.m. when deputies responded to a trucking business on a report of shots fired.



Javier and his wife showed up at the business and confronted 50-year-old Emanuel Contreras there, Javier then shot and killed him, police said. He then turned and shot and killed Petra.

Another person then showed up, who authorities identified as 50-year-old Antonio Valdez. Police say Javier shot at him and then chased him around the building to the front of Bear Mountain sporting goods store and killed him there.
[Ads /]
Police said that Javier then drove to a residential home on Breckenridge Road, and shot two more people. Authorities identified the victims as 32-year-old Laura Garcia and her father, Eliseo Garcia.



The suspect then went to Fillmore Avenue, where he hijacked a vehicle. A woman and child in the vehicle escaped safely.
[Ads /]
Javier drove down Edison Highway, where a deputy saw him and confronted him. Javier then shot himself in the chest and died at the scene. The deputy did not fire in the confrontation.

At the press conference, Youngblood released body-camera footage that shows the armed deputy approaching Javier before the suicide.

WARNING: Some may find this video disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.


Authorities said the entire shooting took place within 15 minutes.
[Ads /]
It's unclear to investigators how all the victims may be connected in the case.