An 18-year-old gunman walked into a public library in Northern California on Monday and opened fire, killing two adults and wounding a child in an attack investigators say was driven by an obsession with the Columbine High School massacre.
Chico police received a 911 call at 5:12 p.m. reporting a gunman firing shots at the library facility on Sherman Avenue and East 3rd Street. The recording captured the sounds of gunshots and screaming. Officers rushed to the scene at Sherman Avenue and East 3rd Street, and the suspect — identified as Bradley Scott Sayer, an 18-year-old Chico resident — attempted to slip out through the back of the building as police entered the front. He didn’t make it far. Officers who had established a perimeter behind the library took him into custody without exchanging a single shot.
Two adults were killed at the scene. A child was transported to Enloe Medical Center with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Sayer was booked into the Butte County Jail on two counts of murder.
A City of 100,000 Left Shaken
Chico sits roughly 90 miles north of Sacramento, a mid-sized city of about 100,000 people in the Sacramento Valley. The branch library where the shooting unfolded regularly hosts programs for children and teens — a detail that added a particularly grim layer to the evening’s events. Streets surrounding the library were closed well into the night, and a family reunification center was established for those who had been inside the building when gunfire erupted.
Civilian video that circulated online captured the tense aftermath: officers handcuffing a person on the ground in a grassy area just outside the library. The footage offered a rare window into the moment a community’s worst fears were briefly realized — and then contained.
Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge addressed reporters Monday night, his tone measured but clearly weighted by what had unfolded in his city. "The incident tonight was obviously very sad and very traumatic for a lot of people — very traumatic for our community," Aldridge said.
Suspect’s Motive Echoed a Decades-Old Tragedy
Investigators say Sayer was fixated on the Columbine High School shooting. On April 20, 1999, two students killed 14 people at Columbine High in Colorado before taking their own lives. Police said Sayer appeared motivated by a desire to replicate that massacre, and that he had no known prior relationship or connection to either victim.
Sayer used a single firearm, police determined he acted alone, and the confrontation with law enforcement ended without any shots fired by officers. Investigators are continuing to conduct interviews, collect evidence, and review the facts of the case. The FBI and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office are both assisting in the investigation. As of early Tuesday, no attorney information was available for Sayer, his name did not appear in a search of Butte County court records, and no phone number could be located for him.
The identities of the two victims had not been released as of Tuesday morning, pending notification of their next of kin. Anyone with information about the shooting should call authorities at (530) 897-4911.
Officials React, Libraries Close
All Butte County library branches were shuttered Tuesday in the wake of the attack. The county expressed its condolences in a Facebook post, extending sympathy to the victims, their families, library staff, and everyone touched by the shooting.
California Governor Gavin Newsom responded swiftly, saying his heart was with the Chico community and praising law enforcement for securing the scene quickly. “No family should have to endure a tragedy like this,” Newsom said.
Representative James Gallagher, the Republican congressman whose district includes Chico, called the attack senseless and said he was praying for everyone affected. He thanked first responders for their swift response and expressed confidence that the community would recover. “Chico is strong, and we will stand together in the days ahead,” Gallagher said.
Investigation Ongoing
Detectives remained active at the scene late into the night, and the inquiry into Sayer’s background and planning is expected to deepen in the days ahead. Police have not indicated whether they believe Sayer had any specific targets in mind or how long he may have been planning the attack.
For a city that has known its share of hardship — from devastating wildfires to pandemic strain — Monday’s shooting struck at something elemental: the safety of a public space where children come to read and neighbors gather without fear.