Topline: Ten school office employees escaped physical injury after a gunman barricaded them in a Bakersfield building.
Published: June 5, 2026 6:00 am ET
Must Read
Anthony Scott Searles-Harris (via California Department of Justice)
BAKERSFIELD, CA — FBI agents shot and killed a 41-year-old man who held 10 school district employees hostage during a 15-hour standoff inside a downtown office building.
The suspect, Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, was fatally shot just after 4 a.m. on June 3 following an overnight siege at the building on Chester Avenue, according to law enforcement officials. None of the hostages suffered physical injuries.
Searles-Harris entered the building around 1 p.m. on June 2 and barricaded himself in a second-floor office, authorities said. The building also houses a Chase Bank branch.
The hostages worked for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Assistant Chief Jeremy Blakemore of the Bakersfield Police Department said at a news conference that it didn’t appear that the employees were intended targets.
Searles-Harris told authorities he had explosives attached to his body, which police personnel could see. He also claimed he attached explosives to some of the hostages, Blakemore said at the news conference.
“The suspect advised he had explosives attached to his person, which our personnel could see as well,” Blakemore said. “He also told law enforcement that additional explosives had been attached to some of the hostages.”
Law enforcement personnel evacuated the building while crisis negotiators tried to contact Searles-Harris. Blakemore said officers were “simultaneously communicating with the suspect in an effort to release the hostages and elicit a peaceful surrender.”
Five of the 10 hostages were tied up during the standoff, authorities said. Two hostages were released during the negotiations.
One female hostage had diabetes and secretly communicated with law enforcement officials until her cellphone battery died.
“At one point we were able to get medicine to her,” said Special Agent Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento field office. “We knew that this is a loss-of-life situation for that particular hostage that was taken, if we didn’t act sooner than later.”
An FBI hostage rescue team neutralized Searles-Harris around 4:30 a.m., Patel said.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday afternoon that technicians tested the devices Searles-Harris claimed were explosives. Patel said investigators concluded the items do not appear to be a threat.
“We found some concerning items in there from the investigative piece, but again, we’re continuing to evaluate those and look further into it,” Patel said.
Searles-Harris was a registered sex offender who served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2007, according to Patel. The Army dishonorably discharged him for going absent without official leave.
Patel said Searles-Harris faced prior charges in 2014 for sex acts with a child under 14.
Negotiators said Searles-Harris expressed intense frustration about his criminal history during the 15-hour standoff.
“He was really concerned about his previous case history,” Blakemore said. “There was specific elements that he was very frustrated. He had some concerns related to how his previous case had been handled and what the aftermath of that was, his sentencing and those types of things.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
FBI Agents Kill Man After 15-Hour Hostage Standoff at California School District Office
Ten school office employees escaped physical injury after a gunman barricaded them in a Bakersfield building.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 5, 2026 6:00 am ET
Anthony Scott Searles-Harris (via California Department of Justice)
BAKERSFIELD, CA — FBI agents shot and killed a 41-year-old man who held 10 school district employees hostage during a 15-hour standoff inside a downtown office building.
The suspect, Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, was fatally shot just after 4 a.m. on June 3 following an overnight siege at the building on Chester Avenue, according to law enforcement officials. None of the hostages suffered physical injuries.
Searles-Harris entered the building around 1 p.m. on June 2 and barricaded himself in a second-floor office, authorities said. The building also houses a Chase Bank branch.
The hostages worked for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Assistant Chief Jeremy Blakemore of the Bakersfield Police Department said at a news conference that it didn’t appear that the employees were intended targets.
Searles-Harris told authorities he had explosives attached to his body, which police personnel could see. He also claimed he attached explosives to some of the hostages, Blakemore said at the news conference.
“The suspect advised he had explosives attached to his person, which our personnel could see as well,” Blakemore said. “He also told law enforcement that additional explosives had been attached to some of the hostages.”
Law enforcement personnel evacuated the building while crisis negotiators tried to contact Searles-Harris. Blakemore said officers were “simultaneously communicating with the suspect in an effort to release the hostages and elicit a peaceful surrender.”
Five of the 10 hostages were tied up during the standoff, authorities said. Two hostages were released during the negotiations.
One female hostage had diabetes and secretly communicated with law enforcement officials until her cellphone battery died.
“At one point we were able to get medicine to her,” said Special Agent Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento field office. “We knew that this is a loss-of-life situation for that particular hostage that was taken, if we didn’t act sooner than later.”
An FBI hostage rescue team neutralized Searles-Harris around 4:30 a.m., Patel said.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday afternoon that technicians tested the devices Searles-Harris claimed were explosives. Patel said investigators concluded the items do not appear to be a threat.
“We found some concerning items in there from the investigative piece, but again, we’re continuing to evaluate those and look further into it,” Patel said.
Searles-Harris was a registered sex offender who served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2007, according to Patel. The Army dishonorably discharged him for going absent without official leave.
Patel said Searles-Harris faced prior charges in 2014 for sex acts with a child under 14.
Negotiators said Searles-Harris expressed intense frustration about his criminal history during the 15-hour standoff.
“He was really concerned about his previous case history,” Blakemore said. “There was specific elements that he was very frustrated. He had some concerns related to how his previous case had been handled and what the aftermath of that was, his sentencing and those types of things.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
FBI Agents Kill Man After 15-Hour Hostage Standoff at California School District Office
Ten school office employees escaped physical injury after a gunman barricaded them in a Bakersfield building.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 5, 2026 6:00 am ET
Anthony Scott Searles-Harris (via California Department of Justice)
BAKERSFIELD, CA — FBI agents shot and killed a 41-year-old man who held 10 school district employees hostage during a 15-hour standoff inside a downtown office building.
The suspect, Anthony Scott Searles-Harris, was fatally shot just after 4 a.m. on June 3 following an overnight siege at the building on Chester Avenue, according to law enforcement officials. None of the hostages suffered physical injuries.
Searles-Harris entered the building around 1 p.m. on June 2 and barricaded himself in a second-floor office, authorities said. The building also houses a Chase Bank branch.
The hostages worked for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools. Assistant Chief Jeremy Blakemore of the Bakersfield Police Department said at a news conference that it didn’t appear that the employees were intended targets.
Searles-Harris told authorities he had explosives attached to his body, which police personnel could see. He also claimed he attached explosives to some of the hostages, Blakemore said at the news conference.
“The suspect advised he had explosives attached to his person, which our personnel could see as well,” Blakemore said. “He also told law enforcement that additional explosives had been attached to some of the hostages.”
Law enforcement personnel evacuated the building while crisis negotiators tried to contact Searles-Harris. Blakemore said officers were “simultaneously communicating with the suspect in an effort to release the hostages and elicit a peaceful surrender.”
Five of the 10 hostages were tied up during the standoff, authorities said. Two hostages were released during the negotiations.
One female hostage had diabetes and secretly communicated with law enforcement officials until her cellphone battery died.
“At one point we were able to get medicine to her,” said Special Agent Sid Patel of the FBI Sacramento field office. “We knew that this is a loss-of-life situation for that particular hostage that was taken, if we didn’t act sooner than later.”
An FBI hostage rescue team neutralized Searles-Harris around 4:30 a.m., Patel said.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday afternoon that technicians tested the devices Searles-Harris claimed were explosives. Patel said investigators concluded the items do not appear to be a threat.
“We found some concerning items in there from the investigative piece, but again, we’re continuing to evaluate those and look further into it,” Patel said.
Searles-Harris was a registered sex offender who served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2007, according to Patel. The Army dishonorably discharged him for going absent without official leave.
Patel said Searles-Harris faced prior charges in 2014 for sex acts with a child under 14.
Negotiators said Searles-Harris expressed intense frustration about his criminal history during the 15-hour standoff.
“He was really concerned about his previous case history,” Blakemore said. “There was specific elements that he was very frustrated. He had some concerns related to how his previous case had been handled and what the aftermath of that was, his sentencing and those types of things.”
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
