
Someone fired shots into a Bakersfield television station twice in four days, and police still don’t know who did it or why.
Quick Take
- Gunfire hit KBAK/KBFX studios in Bakersfield, California, on Friday, October 9, and again early Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
- Investigators say ten shots struck a conference room and an office in the first attack; no one was hurt in either incident.
- Security footage from the second shooting shows a dark-colored car and what appear to be muzzle flashes.
- Police have not arrested a suspect and have not released a motive or confirmed the weapon type.
Gunfire Strikes Newsroom Twice in Less Than a Week
Bakersfield police are hunting for whoever fired multiple rounds into the KBAK/KBFX building, home to local ABC and Fox affiliates owned by Sinclair. The first attack happened Friday night, October 9, 2026. Investigators say ten shots tore into the building, damaging a conference room, an office, and a front-facing window. Remarkably, no employees were injured despite the building being occupied.
Oddly, staff didn’t realize they’d been shot at right away. Employees reportedly heard noises Friday evening but didn’t recognize them as gunfire. The damage wasn’t discovered and reported to police until Sunday, two days later, when someone finally spotted the bullet holes. That gap raises obvious questions about what evidence may have been lost in the meantime.
Second Shooting Caught on Camera Days Later
Before police could make headway on the first case, shots rang out again early Tuesday, October 13. This time, security cameras caught the action. Footage shows a dark-colored vehicle outside the station with what appear to be muzzle flashes coming from inside. Again, nobody was hurt, but the repeat attack turned an isolated mystery into an active, ongoing threat against the building.
The footage is a real break for investigators, but it’s far from a finished puzzle. No license plate, driver description, or vehicle make and model has been confirmed publicly. Police haven’t said what kind of gun was used, how many rounds were fired in the second incident, or whether the same shooter is responsible for both attacks. That leaves many questions investigators still need to answer.
Station Owner Responds, Police Ask Public for Help
Sinclair, which owns the station, confirmed it’s cooperating fully with the Bakersfield Police Department. The company said no employee was injured and called staff safety its top priority. That statement matters because it signals the station is treating this as a serious workplace-safety matter, not a minor property crime to be shrugged off.
Police have asked anyone with information to call the Bakersfield Police Department directly at 661-327-7111. That’s a concrete step the public can take, and it suggests investigators believe someone out there saw or heard something useful. Tip lines like this often crack cases that security footage alone can’t solve, especially when a vehicle description is involved.
What Investigators Still Need to Nail Down
Several basic facts remain unsettled. Reports differ slightly on the exact date of the first shooting, with some citing October 9 and others October 10, a detail police records should clear up. Investigators also haven’t said whether the two shootings are connected, random, or tied to some dispute involving the station or an individual. Until ballistic testing links or separates the two incidents, that question stays open.
No arrest has been made in either case, and that’s worth stating plainly rather than glossing over. An investigation without a named suspect is still just that. But the fact that police have usable video, a damaged building, and a tip line already running means this case has real momentum, even without a name attached yet.
A Newsroom Targeted Twice Is Not a Small Story
Attacks on journalists and newsrooms aren’t common, but they aren’t rare enough to ignore either. A 2024 survey of American reporters found more than a third had faced threats or physical violence connected to their work. Whether this Bakersfield case turns out to be about the station’s reporting or something else entirely, firing bullets into an occupied building twice in one week is the kind of thing that demands a real answer, not a shrug.
Police are investigating a second shooting incident where shots were fired at our sister TV station in Bakersfield. The first shooting happened Friday night and the second happened early this morning.https://t.co/wWYiyJbUjm
— FOX26 News (@KMPHFOX26) October 13, 2026
For now, the people of Bakersfield are left with a damaged newsroom, two unsolved shootings, and a police department working the phones and the footage. The next update will likely hinge on whether that dark-colored car gets identified, and whether forensic testing ties both attacks to the same gun. Until then, the case remains open, and so does the danger.
Sources:
6abc.com, abc7.com, kget.com, cbsaustin.com, nbc16.com














