Father of Northern California library shooting suspect saw ‘zero' warning signs

The father of an 18-year-old Chico man arrested after a shooting that killed two adults and injured a child at a public library said Tuesday that he was in shock and had seen "zero" warning signs before the attack.

Authorities said Bradley Scott Sayer wore a white T-shirt with the words "Natural Selection," which investigators believe was a reference to the Columbine High School shooting, and appeared to have searched for a confined, populated place before opening fire Monday evening at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library.

Sayer was booked into the Butte County Jail on suspicion of two counts of murder, according to the Chico Police Department.

Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said Sayer was expected to appear in Butte County Superior Court Thursday afternoon, where he was expected to be charged with two counts of first-degree murder.

The victims were identified Tuesday as Robert Johnson, 74, of Orland, and Jacob Hull, 46, of Chico.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Hull was taken to Enloe Hospital, where he later died.

A juvenile girl who was with Hull suffered injuries from broken glass and has been released from the hospital, authorities said. All three were library patrons.

Police said Sayer acted alone and had no known relationship or connection to any of the victims.

Sayer's father, David Sayer, said in a phone interview Tuesday that his son was a "shy little boy" who was "high-functioning" on the autism spectrum and had just graduated from high school with honors.

"Brad has always been a delicate little flower," said David Sayer, a retired insurance agent who said his son lived most of the time with his ex-wife. "He's never harmed anybody. I can't say that anymore."

David Sayer said his son had few friends but was "never angry," smiled often and spent much of his time reading. He said the two had recently booked a trip to Las Vegas as a graduation celebration.

David Sayer said he spoke with his son around 3 p.m. Monday, about two hours before the shooting was reported, and that their last interaction was positive.

"I just feel horrible for the people that he shot," David Sayer said. "It's hard to think right now."

Sayer graduated from Chico High School on June 5, just over two weeks before the library shooting, the Chico Unified School District confirmed.

Authorities said Tuesday that the first 911 calls came in at 5:12 p.m. Monday, with callers reporting gunshots and screaming inside the library. Officers arrived at 5:14 p.m. and entered the building shortly afterward, police said.

As officers approached the front doors, Sayer exited from the east side of the building, where a perimeter had already been established, and was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Sayer was in custody by 5:16 p.m., Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said at a news conference.

"That's absolutely amazing," Aldridge said. "I absolutely believe that this is what mitigated further loss of life."

Sid Patel, special agent in charge of the FBI's Sacramento Field Office, said Sayer walked through the library without a weapon before returning to his vehicle, retrieving a shotgun from the trunk and going back inside.

Police said Sayer fired approximately eight total rounds from a shotgun during the shooting. Officials said Johnson was shot in the leg near the entrance and then shot in the head, and the other victims were shot inside the building, police said.

A search of Sayer's vehicle, which was parked in the library lot, turned up two additional firearms, police said. Authorities said the firearms were registered to a family member.

Investigators from the Chico Police Department, Butte County Sheriff's Office and FBI were analyzing digital, physical and other evidence collected from the library, Sayer's vehicle and two residences connected to him, police said.

Patel said Sayer wore a white T-shirt with "Natural Selection" written on it in black marker, which investigators believe was a reference to Eric Harris, one of the Columbine shooters, who wore a similar shirt during the 1999 high school mass shooting.

"This ‘natural selection,' we believe, is a reference to Eric Harris," Patel said.

Ramsey said Sayer had been a longtime follower of social media involving Columbine-type school shootings.

"The suspect was a fan and a fan for some time of social media involving Columbine-type shootings, the school shootings and unfortunately made a deep dive into that social media community, and obviously lost his way in that and decided yesterday to act in copycat," Ramsey said.

Authorities said they were still reviewing witness accounts to determine whether additional charges, including attempted murder, could be filed. Autopsies for Johnson and Hall are scheduled for Thursday at the coroner's facility in Oroville.

Sayer's parents were interviewed by investigators, but officials declined to discuss what they said, citing the ongoing investigation. Sayer's mother, Vicki, did not immediately return a phone call or email from the Chronicle.

Chico resident Daniel Kirylo, who lived next door to Sayer's mother, said he had not noticed anything unusual about the family before they sold their home and moved just a few months ago. The mother, an insurance agent, had recently gotten married and the family was moving to the South, Kirylo said.

Kirylo remembered seeing the suspect's older brother often, coming and going with friends and showing off his Toyota Supra. But he hardly ever saw the suspect, whom he described as a "very quiet kid."

"This is crazy," he said, of the situation. "I wonder if he spent too much time online."

Library staff helped move patrons and one another to safety during the shooting, county officials said.

"A library should be a place of joy," Misty Wright, Butte County's director of libraries, said in a statement. "It should be a place where people of all ages come to learn, connect, laugh, and discover something new. Most importantly, it should be a place where people feel safe."

"In the midst of this tragedy, we also witnessed remarkable bravery from our library staff, who acted on their preparation and training to help patrons and one another," Wright said.

The Chico branch was previously scheduled to close in August for renovations, Wright said. Security personnel will be arranged at each library branch as a precaution before other locations reopen, she said.

The library branch on Sherman Avenue was open to the public at the time of the shooting.

Butte County said all county library branches would be closed Tuesday. The county extended condolences to the victims, their loved ones, library staff and others affected.

"Our hearts are with the Chico community tonight," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "We are grateful to law enforcement for their swift actions to secure the scene and take the suspect into custody. No family should have to endure a tragedy like this."

Rep. James Gallagher, R-Chico, said in a statement that he was "heartbroken by the senseless act of violence" and thanked first responders.

Erica Smith, the communications director for the Chico Unified School District, said the district was "deeply saddened" by the shooting. She did not respond to questions about whether Sayer graduated with honors or had ever had disciplinary issues while attending Chico Unified schools.

"Our hearts go out to everyone affected, and Chico Unified remains fully committed to honoring and supporting those impacted in our community as we begin to heal together," Smith said.

Multiple agencies responded to the shooting, including the Butte County Sheriff's Office, Butte College police, Chico State police, California State Parks, Cal Fire's law enforcement branch, the FBI, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Chico Fire Department and local ambulance crews.

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This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 7:06 PM.