BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Hundreds of students at Independence High School in Bakersfield staged a walkout Tuesday, holding signs and turning a campus shaken by gunfire into a call for districtwide change. The protest was organized by students who witnessed the shooting at the August 21 football game.
Student organizer Citlalis Soto, an 11th grader at Independence High School, said the trauma from that night was immediate and personal.
"All three of us were there at the game together. We were protecting each other, crying to each other, consoling each other…You never think that it's gonna happen to you until you're there."
Within hours of the shooting, students began using group chats and social media to coordinate the walkout. Organizer Maiguin, also a junior at Independence High School, said the response came together fast, and that the urgency extended beyond their own campus.
"I actually started organizing Friday night hours after it happened because it was pretty immediate when people realized, oh my gosh, this is, this could have happened anywhere."
Organizers say their message is directed not at Independence High School staff, but at Kern High School District leadership. Student organizer Anissa Negrete said the district must act across all of its campuses.
"We want to advocate that the Kern High District needs to put safety measures on all Kern High schools…There are so many ways that we could have prevented it."
Students are calling on the district to consider adding metal detectors, stronger screening procedures at school events and more highly trained officers on campuses. Kern High School District previously said it would review the shooting and continue providing counseling and support services for students.
But organizers say words of reassurance need to be backed by visible policy changes. They say they cannot change what happened at the football game, but they hope to influence how the community responds moving forward.
Senior and student organizer Marisa Langford said the walkout carried a message that went beyond security measures.
"By doing this, we send a message that not only do we need better protection in our schools, but we need more of a community like this."
Organizers say the movement is already spreading. Maiguin said students from Stockdale High School plan to advocate for Independence High School students during their own football game Friday, and that she is already connecting with student representatives from West High School, Golden Valley High School and other campuses across the district.
"We are kids who want change and hopefully by being able to guide this and organize this, we can show people that change is possible if you all get together."
They are now reaching out to students across other KHSD campuses, hoping to grow the walkout into a districtwide movement. 23ABC reached out to KHSD for a response to the students' demands but has not yet received a reply.
Students say their push for change will continue at the Kern High School District board meeting on September 8, where they plan to bring their safety concerns directly to district leaders.
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