Prosecutors filed a juvenile petition after a renewed investigation and a November arrest.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Prosecutors have charged a 16-year-old with murder in the 2024 shooting that killed 15-year-old Prince Michael Banner at The Marketplace shopping center, filing a petition Nov. 18 after detectives arrested the suspect the day before under a Ramey warrant.
The filing marks a major turn in a case that stalled last year when authorities said evidence was insufficient to file charges. Investigators with the Kern County District Attorney’s Office and Bakersfield police conducted additional follow-up, leading to the Oct. 24 warrant and a Nov. 17 arrest. The teen, identified by officials as Albert Briseno Jr., was 15 at the time of the shooting and is being held in juvenile custody ahead of a Dec. 1 detention hearing. Officials say both teens were armed that night, but only the accused fired. If convicted in juvenile court, he could be held until age 25.
Banner was shot shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, 2024, at The Marketplace in southwest Bakersfield, according to investigators. Police said he was taken to a hospital, where he died. The accused surrendered to police two days after the shooting but was released while the case underwent review. The District Attorney’s Office said it initially sent the matter back to police for more work last November. After nearly a year of added witness interviews and document review, prosecutors moved forward. “This is just the first step,” Banner’s mother, Que’Mesha Banner, said in a statement, adding she was grateful to investigators who “refused to give up.”
Authorities now allege first-degree murder and related gun offenses: possession of a handgun by a minor, carrying a loaded and stolen firearm, and carrying an unregistered loaded firearm. The petition filed Nov. 18 outlines those counts in juvenile court. Investigators say that while both teens brought guns to the confrontation, only the accused fired the fatal round. Officials have not publicly described what led to the dispute or how the teens came together at the shopping center. The District Attorney’s Office and police have not released ballistics results or the number of rounds fired, and they have not said who owned the recovered firearm.
The Marketplace, a busy outdoor retail and dining hub on Ming Avenue, drew a large crowd the night of the shooting, and mourners later held a vigil there for Banner, a Stockdale High School sophomore remembered by family as a drummer and football player. Police said surveillance and witness accounts formed key parts of the investigation, though early statements varied. The initial declination to file charges in November 2024 prompted questions in the community as the case remained open through spring 2025, when police resubmitted their findings to prosecutors and additional DA investigative work continued into the fall.
With the suspect in custody, the case proceeds on the juvenile calendar. A detention hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek a transfer to adult court. If the case remains in juvenile court and he is adjudicated, confinement would be limited by law to age 25. Upcoming steps include discovery exchanges, potential motions on admissibility of statements and evidence, and setting a jurisdictional hearing date. Officials said they expect further updates after the initial hearing and any future rulings on custody status.
Outside court filings, the human toll remains visible. At the shopping center, flowers and handwritten notes from last year’s vigil still surface on anniversaries. “My family has waited over a year for accountability,” Banner’s mother said, calling the filing a beginning, not an end. Shoppers described a heavier security presence in recent months and said the case has stayed in conversation at nearby schools and churches. Residents who attended the vigil last year said they want clarity on what sparked the confrontation and how investigators tied evidence to the charged teen after the early delay.
As of Sunday, the teen remains held in juvenile custody. The next milestone is the Dec. 1 detention hearing, when a judge will review his status and set the path for subsequent proceedings.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, November 23, 2025.