Teen who wanted to commit 'Columbine-style massacre' opens fire in library and kills two in front of screaming children

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 16:02, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 16:59, 23 June 2026 A California teenager who wanted to commit a 'Columbine-style massacre' killed two people in a shooting at a library on Monday, police say.  The gunman, identified as Bradley Scott Sayer, 18, opened fire at the Butte County Library in Chico, California around 5pm.  An open 911 line allowed dispatchers to hear a number of gunshots and people screaming in the library, where a child was also injured alongside the two people who were killed.  Sayer ran out of the library after being confronted by police, where two more officers then arrested him as he tried to flee, police said.  Chico Police identified the gunman as Sayer on Tuesday, as he was charged with two open counts of murder.  Authorities said they believe Sayer acted alone, and said he hoped to carry out a 'Columbine High School massacre-type of shooting.' Police said Sayer tried to kill many more people in a random spree shooting, and said there is 'no indication Sayer had any prior relationship with or connection to any of the victims in the library at the time of the shooting.'  Footage from the scene showed a huge police presence surrounded the library, before a police officer arrested the gunman on the ground and handcuffed him.  A shooting at the Butte County Library (pictured) in Chico, California left at least two dead on Monday, after an 18-year-old tried to carry out a 'Columbine-style shooting', police said  The shooter, identified by police as Bradley Scott Sayer, 18, was arrested outside the library after he allegedly killed two and injured a child in the shooting  Footage showed a huge police presence surrounded the library, before an officer tackled the gunman to the ground and handcuffed him  Sayer had reportedly only recently graduated from Chico High School before the shooting. Chief Billy Aldridge of the Chico Police Department said at a press conference on Monday night: 'The incident tonight was obviously very sad and very traumatic for a lot of people — very traumatic for our community.'  He said the investigation is ongoing, and officers will continue 'conducting interviews, collecting evidence, and reviewing facts of the case.'  In a statement following the tragedy, Rep. James Gallagher, who represents the area, said: 'I am heartbroken by this senseless violence and am praying for the victims, their loved ones and everyone impacted by this tragedy.' 'Thank you to the brave law enforcement officers and other first responders who responded quickly to protect our community. Chico is strong, and we will stand together in the days ahead,' he said in the statement.  California Governor Gavin Newsom also said in a statement after the shooting: 'Our hearts are with the Chico community tonight. '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.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.