On January 12, 2024, 14-year-old Jayden Henry Marvin Jackson was fatally shot in a residence on Provincetown Avenue in southwest Bakersfield, California. The incident occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m., when police responded to reports of a shooting and found Jackson deceased at the scene.
Investigations revealed that 33-year-old Gregory Wisniewski had picked up six teenagers, including Jackson, around midnight without their parents' consent.
He brought them to his home, where he provided them with alcohol and left a firearm accessible—a practice he had reportedly engaged in on multiple occasions. The teenagers began handling the firearm recklessly, leading to Jackson being accidentally shot in the neck by another individual.
Wisniewski was arrested the following day and charged with five counts of child cruelty and one count of first-degree criminal storage of a firearm, which involves storing a firearm where a child can access it, resulting in bodily injury or death. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, was released on bail, and was scheduled to appear in court on March 22, 2024.
The Kern County Coroner's Office conducted an autopsy and officially ruled Jackson's death a homicide, confirming that he died from a gunshot wound to the neck.
This tragic incident underscores the dangers of providing minors with access to alcohol and unsecured firearms, highlighting the critical importance of responsible firearm storage and supervision to prevent such devastating outcomes.
