Incident details
- Date of incident
- October 9, 2026
- Location
- Bakersfield, California
- Targets
- KBAK-TV / KBFX-CD
- Equipment damaged
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
An apparent muzzle flash is seen from a car in surveillance footage released by KBAK-TV/KBFX-CD, after the Bakersfield, California, stations said their studios were fired at on Oct. 9, 2026.
California television stations KBAK-TV and KBFX-CD were targeted in a shooting the night of Oct. 9, 2026, when a gunman fired 10 shots into a conference room and office at their joint Bakersfield studios.
Surveillance footage released by the stations shows a black vehicle pulling up to the building and remaining there for nearly three minutes. The driver moved forward, backed up, then appeared to fire from the driver’s side before speeding away. Apparent muzzle flashes are visible in the video.
The morning of Oct. 13, additional gunfire struck the building. Three employees were inside during the second shooting, but no one was injured, according to the Bakersfield Police Department. At the time, Jessica Bellucci, a spokesperson for the sister stations’ parent company, Sinclair Broadcast Group, said they were taking steps to secure the workplace.
Police arrested a Bakersfield woman, Thomashana Renee Zeigler, on Oct. 15 after stopping her vehicle en route to the station, according to a department news release.
Officers found a handgun that police said matched shell casings recovered at the scene, along with an additional loaded magazine. Search warrants led investigators to recover additional firearms and evidence connected to the investigation, police said.
Detectives also uncovered further threats against the station and prevented what police described as a potential third shooting.
In a statement, Bellucci, the Sinclair spokesperson, said the company was relieved by the arrest and grateful for police efforts.
Zeigler faces multiple charges, including shooting at an occupied building and carrying a loaded firearm.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
