Bakersfield TV Station Shot at Twice in Four Days, Gunman Loose
Ten rounds hit the KBAK and KBFX newsroom on Friday night, and gunfire struck the building again early Tuesday. No one was hurt. Police are still hunting the shooter.
Key points
- Someone has shot at the same California television station twice in four days, and police still do not know who did it.
- Shots were fired at the KBAK and KBFX studios in Bakersfield early on Tuesday morning, the second attack on the building since late Friday night.
- Bakersfield police say ten rounds were fired into a conference room and an office at the station late on Friday.
Someone has shot at the same California television station twice in four days, and police still do not know who did it.
Shots were fired at the KBAK and KBFX studios in Bakersfield early on Tuesday morning, the second attack on the building since late Friday night. Nobody was injured in either shooting. The gunman got away both times.
Ten shots on Friday, more on Tuesday
Bakersfield police say ten rounds were fired into a conference room and an office at the station late on Friday. Surveillance video from that night shows a black vehicle pull up outside the building and wait. About two minutes later, muzzle flashes appear from the driver's side window before the car speeds off.
Early Tuesday, gunfire hit the station again. Police have not said how the second attack unfolded, or whether they believe the same person carried out both shootings. No arrests have been announced.
A newsroom working under guard
The stations, owned by Sinclair, carry CBS and Fox programming for the Bakersfield market. Sinclair spokeswoman Jessica Belluci said the company is cooperating fully with the Bakersfield Police Department. "Thankfully, no one was injured," she said. "The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority, and we are taking appropriate steps to ensure a safe and secure workplace."
Weekend anchor and reporter Shelby Martin posted about the attacks early Tuesday. "I am very grateful that my colleagues are safe and nobody was hurt in Friday's shooting at the station," she wrote. "We will continue to provide updates on the air and online."
What investigators are asking
Police have released no description of a suspect and no motive. The surveillance footage gives them a vehicle and a timeline, and detectives are asking anyone with information to call the Bakersfield Police Department at (661) 327-7111.
Attacks on local newsrooms are rare, and two in four days at one station is rarer still. For now the building is a crime scene that its own cameras cover every night, and the people who work there are doing their jobs while police look for the car in the video.
Through both attacks, the stations have stayed on the air, and Sinclair says broadcasting continues while it takes extra steps to keep the workplace secure. Employees were in the building when the Tuesday shots were fired, ABC News reported, and the station told viewers it would keep providing updates on air and online.