Teen Planned Columbine-Style Attack Before Killing Two at Chico Public Library

A library, a shotgun, and a Columbine obsession

Bradley Scott Sayer, 18, walked into the Chico branch of the Butte County Library at 5:12 p.m. on Monday, surveyed the space, returned to his car to retrieve a shotgun, and opened fire — killing two men and injuring a young girl before police took him into custody within four minutes.theguardian +1 Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said dispatchers could hear screaming and gunfire on the 911 calls; officers arrived at the scene at 5:14 p.m. and had the suspect in custody by 5:16 p.m.kcra Sayer is expected to face two counts of first-degree murder in Butte County Superior Court, with attempted murder charges also under consideration.theguardian

The victims and the moment of attack

The two men killed were Robert Johnson, 74, of Orland, and Jacob Cody Hull, 46, of Chico.kcra Police said Sayer fired approximately eight rounds, shooting Johnson near the library entrance — first disabling him with a leg shot before a fatal headshot — before moving deeper into the building where he shot Hull.theguardian A young girl who was with Hull suffered non-life-threatening injuries from broken glass and has been discharged from the hospital.theguardian +1 About 100 community members gathered outside the library Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil, with a second service held at St. John's Episcopal Church.people

Columbine echoes and a premeditated plan

Sayer wore a white T-shirt handwritten with the words "natural selection" — an apparent direct reference to one of the 1999 Columbine shooters, who wore the same phrase on the day of the attack.theguardian +1 FBI Special Agent Sid Patel, head of the Sacramento field office, said Sayer had "made a deep dive" into online communities fixated on school shootings and that his stated motivation "appears to be founded in a desire to commit a Columbine High School massacre type of shooting."theguardian +1 Officials said he had conducted a walkthrough of the library before the attack, indicating premeditation. The shotgun was registered to a family member; under California law, an 18-year-old may legally purchase certain long guns.theguardian

Community on edge, library to close

Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said Sayer had graduated from Chico High School just weeks before the attack, describing him as someone who had "unfortunately lost his way" through social media immersion in mass-shooting content.theguardian His father, David Sayer, told the San Francisco Chronicle he had seen "zero" warning signs, calling his son a "delicate little flower" who had never harmed anyone.sfchronicle Security personnel are now being deployed to every Butte County Library branch, and the Chico location — already scheduled for August renovations — will remain closed until that work is complete.theguardian The college town of roughly 107,000 people has faced two previous public shooting incidents in recent years, in 2024 and 2022.theguardian