Two people were killed and a child was injured in a shooting Monday evening at the Chico branch of the Butte County Library in Northern California, authorities said.
Dispatchers received multiple 911 calls beginning at 5:12 p.m. reporting a shooter inside the library while it was open, Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge said during a press conference Monday.
“We had an open 911 line [and] you could hear gunshots and people screaming,” Aldridge said.
Police officers arrived at the library six minutes after the initial calls and entered the facility, the department said in a statement. The suspect fled out the back as officers made entry but was taken into custody without incident, police said.
Video captured by a bystander on a bus showed police stationed in front of the library and running toward the building carrying long guns.
Police identified the suspect as Bradley Scott Sayer of Chico. Police said there was no indication he had any prior relationship with the victims.
Detectives received support from local, state, and federal agencies, and the FBI offered to assist in the investigation, Aldridge said. The Butte County Library announced that all branches would be closed Tuesday.
“We are aware of the tragic incident that occurred 6/22/2026 at the Chico Branch of the Butte County Library and extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected, including the victims, their loved ones, library staff, and all those impacted by this heartbreaking incident,” the library said in a statement.
Chico is a college town located about 90 miles north of the state capital in Butte County and home to approximately 107,000 people. Butte County has experienced multiple active shooter incidents in recent years. In 2024, a man shot two kindergartners at an elementary school; both children survived. In 2022, a man opened fire on a Greyhound bus, killing a 43-year-old woman and injuring four others.
Megan Dahle, who represents Chico in the California Senate, called the incident “stunning and heartbreaking.”
“The library is a safe and quiet place for families of all kinds, a place to enjoy storytime or pick up a book for summer reading,” Dahle said in a statement. “We don’t know the facts yet, but nothing like this should happen to families anywhere – and certainly not at this place of wholesome joy. My prayers go out to all who had to suffer this horror.”