Vernon “Wes” Lancaster is speaking out about holding his dying son Eric after a shooting allegedly involving three juveniles in California.
Wes, who survived the July 18 attack in Kern County, told KGET News that the image of his son’s final moments haunts him constantly. “Seeing my son go down and seeing his fixed eyes. That is something I will never forget. His eyes were just fixed,” he said in the television interview.
The 53-year-old Eric Lancaster died at the scene on the 800 block of Crane Street in Bakersfield, while his father was wounded and transported to a hospital for treatment. Three juveniles — ages 12, 13, and 16 — have been arrested and charged in connection with the fatal shooting, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Wes described to ABC23 the desperate moments after his son fell to the ground. “When my son fell, I reached over as hard as I could to hold his hand and tell him to stay with us. Stay with us,” he recounted. “And it was too late. It was too late already.”
The grieving father also shared the horror of witnessing the gunfire that killed Eric. “I didn’t see my shooter shoot me, but I seen my shooter shoot my son. And it’s the most ugliest thing that won’t go away in my mind,” he told the outlet.
All three juvenile suspects face charges of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy, and participation in a criminal street gang, the sheriff’s office announced. The 16-year-old was detained first in a nearby neighborhood and was also arrested regarding an unrelated investigation, according to the police press release. The 12-year-old and 13-year-old were identified and arrested on July 29 and August 2 respectively during the follow-up investigation.
The Kern County District Attorney’s office shared charging documents showing the 12-year-old faces additional counts of two assaults with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a handgun by a minor. The 13-year-old was charged with assault and participating in a criminal street gang. The 16-year-old also faces charges of assault with a firearm, possession of a handgun by a minor, and carrying a loaded firearm.
The unnamed 16-year-old could potentially be tried as an adult, the district attorney indicated.
In the viral moment that has drawn national attention to the case, the Lancasters were simply minding their own business when the group of teens allegedly tried to steal Eric’s backpack. Eric then attempted to flee with his bike and was shot. Wes emphasized to reporters that his son was an innocent victim who had no connection to the alleged attackers. “He got caught up in it randomly. It wasn’t his fault. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t know those kids,” he also told ABC23.
The case has shocked the Bakersfield community and drawn scrutiny to juvenile violence and gang involvement in the region. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office has not released additional details about the circumstances that led the three minors to allegedly open fire on the father and son.