In the early morning hours of Sunday, June 22, 2025, tragedy unfolded in the 3200 block of Pesante Road in east Bakersfield. At approximately 12:30 a.m., 17-year-old Keilan Ray Denwitty was shot—fatally—in a quiet residential neighborhood that has now become the latest backdrop for Kern County’s deepening crisis of youth gun violence. The Kern County…

On Saturday, June 21, 2025, the community of Bakersfield, California, was dealt a devastating blow with the untimely passing of Keilan Ray Denwitty. Just 17 years old, Keilan was known throughout his neighborhood not only as a promising music artist but also as a source of light and joy for his friends, family, and peers.…