Teen charged in California library shooting linked to Columbine motive

Bradley Scott Sayer was ordered held without bail after the June 22 shooting at the Butte County Library’s Chico branch and his attempt to stage an escape through the back of the building. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said in court that Sayer was drawn to Columbine-era mass shooting content.

Chico police received multiple 911 calls at 5:12 p.m. reporting gunshots and screaming inside the library on Sherman Avenue near East First Avenue. Officers were on scene within minutes and took Sayer into custody around 5:18 p.m. as he exited through the rear of the library. Police recovered a shotgun as evidence, and the FBI said there was no ongoing threat to the community.

The victims were identified as Robert Johnson, 74, of Orland, and Jacob Hull, 46, of Chico. Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene. Hull was taken to the hospital, where he died. A juvenile girl was also injured and treated for non-life-threatening injuries before later reuniting with family.

Sayer had no known relationship to either victim. He was wearing a white shirt with the handwritten words Natural Selection, had recorded and uploaded a video of himself before the attack, and had done a walk-through of the library before returning to his vehicle to retrieve the shotgun. Additional firearms were found in his car, and the weapons were registered to relatives.

At the June 25 arraignment in Butte County Superior Court, Ramsey said investigators also recovered a journal in which Sayer intended to kill himself after the attack. He said Sayer had become obsessed with mass shootings and online Columbine fan pages. The case was continued to July 16 at 8:30 a.m. for further arraignment and entry of plea.

The Butte County Library branches outside Chico reopened June 25 with added security personnel, while the Chico branch remained closed.