Victims Identified in Chico Library Shooting
Officers were inside the library within minutes of the first 911 call.
By the time they arrived, two men were already dead.
How Police Responded
According to the Chico Police Department, officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunshots and screaming at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library on Sherman Avenue at 5:12 p.m. Monday.
Dispatchers could hear gunfire and screaming over an open 911 line during the call itself.
Officers arrived within minutes and entered the building. As they came through the front, the suspect exited from the back, where a perimeter had already been established, and was taken into custody without incident.
CBS Sacramento confirmed the suspect was in custody by 5:16 p.m., roughly four minutes after the first call came in. Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said he believes that response time helped prevent further deaths.
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Who Was Killed
Authorities identified the victims as 74-year-old Robert Johnson, of Orland, California, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and 46-year-old Jacob Hull, who was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
NBC News reported a third victim, a juvenile, was also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and has since been reunited with family.
Investigators said roughly eight rounds were fired from a shotgun during the attack.
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Who's Been Arrested
Police identified the suspect as Bradley Scott Sayer, 18, of Chico.
He was booked into the Butte County Jail on two open counts of murder.
Authorities said Sayer acted alone and had no known connection to anyone in the library at the time of the shooting.
He graduated from Chico High School earlier this month, according to police, and is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
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What Investigators Say Drove the Attack
Police said preliminary findings indicate the attack was motivated by a longstanding fascination with a previous American mass shooting from the late 1990s, which investigators say Sayer had studied extensively online before carrying out Monday's attack.
Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said the evening was deeply traumatic for the community, and offered condolences to the families of everyone affected.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said the case reflects a pattern of someone who became deeply immersed in online communities centered on past mass shootings, eventually carrying out what investigators describe as a copycat-style attack.
Two additional firearms were located in a vehicle belonging to Sayer outside the library; investigators are continuing to trace those weapons.
What Happens Next
The investigation remains active, with the Chico Police Department working alongside the Butte County Sheriff's Office and the FBI to review digital, physical, and material evidence, including material recovered from two residences connected to Sayer.
Autopsies for both adult victims were scheduled for Thursday.
Sayer is being held in isolation at the Butte County Jail ahead of his scheduled court appearance.
Key Takeaways
- Robert Johnson, 74, and Jacob Hull, 46, were killed in a shooting at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library on Monday, June 22.
- A juvenile was also injured and has since been reunited with family.
- Bradley Scott Sayer, 18, of Chico, has been arrested and booked on two counts of murder.
- Police say Sayer acted alone with no known connection to any of the victims.
- Investigators believe the attack was motivated by a longstanding fascination with a prior American mass shooting.
- The investigation continues with the FBI and Butte County Sheriff's Office; Sayer is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday.
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