A California father, shattered by grief, is speaking out about the devastating moments he spent beside his son after a shooting that authorities say involved three juvenile suspects.
Vernon “Wes” Lancaster and his 53-year-old son, Eric Lancaster, were shot in mid-July on the 800 block of Crane Street in Bakersfield, according to local reports.
Wes survived the attack. Eric did not.
“Seeing my son go down and seeing his fixed eyes. That is something I will never forget. His eyes were just fixed,” Wes told KGET News.
In the chaos after the gunfire, Wes said he fought to reach his son, desperate to comfort him and somehow keep him alive.
“When my son fell, I reached over as hard as I could to hold his hand and tell him to stay with us. Stay with us. And it was too late. It was too late already,” he also told ABC23.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office said three minors — ages 12, 13 and 16 — were arrested in connection with the Bakersfield shooting. They face charges including murder, attempted murder, conspiracy and participation in a criminal street gang.
Investigators allege the juveniles opened fire on the father and son, killing Eric Lancaster and leaving Wes Lancaster injured.
The Lancasters were minding their own business when the group of teens tried to steal the backpack from the son. Eric then attempted to flee with his bike and was shot.
“He got caught up in it randomly. It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t know those kids,” Wes also said.
The 16-year-old was the first to be detained and was also arrested in connection to an unrelated investigation.
The 12-year-old also faces additional charges of two counts of assaults with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a handgun by a minor while the 13-year-old was charged with assault and participating in a criminal street gang.
