A California jury found a gang member guilty Tuesday in the fatal shooting of a casino security guard. The murder took place on Nov. 3, 2017 at Golden West Casino in Bakersfield.
The defendant, Keon Brackenridge, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8. He could face multiple life sentences in prison.
The jury brought back a guilty verdict on several charges following a trial. These include first-degree murder, attempted murder, three counts of assault with a gun, shooting at an inhabited dwelling, and possession of a firearm by a felon, KGET, a California TV station, reported.
The incident began when Brackenridge would not show an ID at the casino entrance. He was not let into the gaming floor, the report said.
That led to him being ordered away from the casino. But rather than leave, while in a parking lot, he allegedly pulled out a 9mm handgun. It was hidden in his waistband, the report adds.
He allegedly began shooting at the guards. Gunfire was exchanged in the parking lot.
One security guard, Richard Iloilo, 25, was shot. He died at the gaming property from his upper body injuries. Three other security guards shot at Brackenridge. He was wounded in the forearm and thigh, KGET said.
Despite his wounds, Brackenridge was able to walk to the Playfair Market. That is two blocks from the casino. He was arrested by local deputies at the market.
It was later determined Brackenridge pulled out his gun and fired the weapon before the security guards discharged their weapons, KGET reported. That is based on arrest reports citing surveillance video.
At least one of the guards touched Brackenridge before the gunfire. They wanted to encourage him to leave the casino property, the report adds.
He Claimed Self-Defense
Brackenridge later told authorities he fired the gun in self-defense, the report adds. In 2017, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
This week, Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer called the shooting “senseless violence” that led to the “death of a man who was simply doing his job” and put the lives of “countless others” in danger, KERO, another California TV station, reported.
This conviction brings accountability and justice, and the anticipated life sentences will prevent Brackenridge from further endangering the people of Kern County.”
Bullet Entered Casino
No one else was injured during the gunfire. A bullet went through a window at the casino. It shattered glass in a table inside the casino building.
The sound of gunfire led visitors to jump onto the floor in the casino to seek safety. A casino worker inside the champagne room also heard the gunfire.
To protect the visitors, the worker pulled several of them to an area behind a wall that separated the champagne room from the gaming floor, KGET said.
After his apprehension, Brackenridge was found to be a member of the West Side Crips street gang, KGET said. The Crips are an alliance of street gangs located in Southern California.
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