Late in the afternoon on June 22, officials say Bradley Sayer donned a white T-shirt painted with the words “Natural Selection” — a reference to the Columbine High School gunman — and walked into Butte County Library’s Chico branch.
Sayer is accused of the shotgun killing of two patrons — Robert Johnson, 74, and Jacob Hull, 46. A young girl was taken to Enloe Medical Center with minor injuries. (See sidebar: “Sorrow, anxiety, settle over city.”)
Inspired by Columbine High School gunman Eric Harris, Sayer set out in search of a crowded, open area, said Billy Aldridge, Chico’s police chief, during a press conference today. Aldridge said the department believes it was an “isolated incident,” and Sayer doesn’t have any known connection to the victims.
Sayer arrived at the library around 5 p.m., District Attorney Michael Ramsey told ChicoSol. Officials said that after walking through the library, Sayer returned to his car, where he retrieved a shotgun from the trunk.
At the library’s entrance, Sayer fired shots, killing Orland resident Robert Johnson, who was declared dead on the scene, officials said.
Sayer continued into the library, where officers say he fired additional shots, fatally wounding Chico resident Jacob Hull, 46. Hull was transported to Enloe, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Hull is believed to have been accompanied by a young girl who was injured during the shooting. Kayla Gates, Chico PD’s public information officer, said her injuries may have been caused by broken glass.
The girl has since been discharged from Enloe Medical Center, Aldridge said.
Sayer fired eight shots in total, officers said.
Aldridge said two other firearms were found in Sayer’s car, which was parked outside the front of the library. Police are still investigating where and how Sayer obtained the firearms.
Once officers breached the building, Aldridge said Sayer fled the library through the back, where law enforcement agencies had established a perimeter. As Sayer left the building, Chico PD made contact with the suspect and took him into custody without force.
Sayer was transported to Butte County Jail, where he remains held in isolation and may face two counts of first degree murder and possible additional charges of attempted murder, Ramsey said.
An arraignment is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday in Butte County Superior Court.
Police later recovered the shotgun believed to have been used in the incident, Ramsey said.
The department was aided by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, Chico Fire Department, California State University, Chico Police Department and Butte College Police Department. The partnerships were helpful, Aldridge said. Chico police say they had the suspect in custody 4 minutes after the first 9-1-1 call.
Sid Patel, the special agent in charge of the FBI Sacramento Field Office, said Sayer was questioned by Chico Police Department around 9:30 p.m. Sayer graduated from Chico High School in early June and has been living “between two locations,” Patel said.
The FBI is working to go through Sayer’s personal possessions to get a clearer idea of what may have led to the shooting.
Ramsey said that Sayer made a “deep dive” on social media into the Columbine shooting.
“He lost his way, in that he decided yesterday to act and copycat that unfortunate part of our society right now,” Ramsey said.
Library directors work to re-create a sense of safety
Each of the Butte County libraries will remain closed for the time being, said Misty Wright, Butte County’s director of libraries. The Chico branch will be closed until after August renovations are completed.
Upon reopening, Wright said libraries will increase security, including a plan for permanent “security personnel” at all branches.
“A library should be a place of joy; it should be a place where people of all ages come to learn, connect, laugh and discover something new,” Wright said at the press conference. “But most importantly it should be a place where people feel safe — and yesterday that sense of safety was shattered.”
Many people arrived at the closed library today to pay respects to the victims and retrieve things left behind while fleeing gunfire. A vigil is scheduled for 8 p.m. this evening.
Leighton Leathers said he was playing video games in the library when the fatal shootings occurred. Leathers charged toward the fleeing crowd when he first heard the gunshots.
“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “That’s why you go to the library — for safety.”
He left some of his belongings behind, such as his phone, but hasn’t been able to recover them.
Ramsey and Aldridge asked for people who may be attempting to get their belongings to reach out to Butte County’s Victim Assistance Bureau.
Wright said she doesn’t expect further issues at the other branches, but that they will remain vigilant.
Vice Mayor Dale Bennett, who was in attendance at the press briefing, applauded the police and other first responders. He said he hopes the “community can move on from this.”
Chris Hutton and Elias S. Myers are ChicoSol contributors and recent journalism graduates.