1 dead, 1 critical in police standoff in Kern County

A man barricaded himself inside a home in the Kern County town of Oildale on Friday after killing a man and critically wounding another, sheriff’s deputies said.

The suspect, described as a man in his 30s, ran into a home in in the 500 block of El Tejon Avenue after deputies found the first victim, Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy Victor Keesey told The Times.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol, the Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff’s SWAT members have surrounded the home and crisis negotiators are trying to talk to the man, he said.

“This is a very fluid situation,� Keesey said.

A woman who lives at the home told KERO-TV that the suspect shot a father and son.

Deputies were called to the neighborhood about 8 a.m. after witnesses reported hearing five to six shots, he said.

When deputies arrived, they found a man lying in the street suffering from a gunshot wound. The suspect was seen fleeing into a nearby home, Keesey said.

During the investigation, deputies discovered a second victim was struck by gunfire. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition, Keesey said.

Homes in the neighborhood have been evacuated, and deputies are asking residents to remain indoors during the standoff.

The sheriff’s office bomb squad was also called to the scene, although Keesey said there was no indication the man had a bomb.

No deputies have been injured during the standoff, Keesey said.

By 3 p.m. some residents were being allowed back in their homes.

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Times staff writers Hailey Branson-Potts and Sarah Parvini contributed to this report.

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