Teen wearing 'Natural Selection' shirt walks into library with a shotgun and starts blasting, killing 2 including man shielding little girl: Cops

A California teen walked into a room with a shotgun and a T-shirt bearing the words "Natural Selection" — an ode to the Columbine High School shooting — and started blasting people, sidesplitting two, including a antheral who shielded an 8-year-old girl, cops say.

Bradley Sayer, 18, walked done the Butte County Library successful Chico connected Monday evening without a limb earlier going retired to his vehicle, retrieving a shotgun from the trunk, and going backmost inside, according to FBI officials and section police.

Friends and household told The Sacramento Bee that 1 of Sayer's victims was Jacob "Cody" Hull, a 46-year-old from Chico who died protecting his friend's daughter.

"Sayer had nary known transportation to the room oregon immoderate of the victims," the Chico Police Department said successful a press release Tuesday. "Based connected accusation revealed during their interviews with the suspect, detectives judge helium was influenced by Columbine High School shooting-type wide casualty events."

The garment Sayer was wearing was akin to a garment worn by Columbine shooter Eric Harris, which besides had the words "Natural Selection" written connected it, according to officials.

"Sayer fired astir 8 full rounds from a shotgun during the people of the incident," the CPD merchandise says. "One unfortunate was struck straight extracurricular of the room entrance, and the others wrong the building."

Hull has since been hailed arsenic a hero.

"I deliberation a batch of radical would similar to deliberation that they are susceptible of doing that, but that takes a lot," said Philip Brun, uncle of the miss Hull shielded. "I'm not definite we each person that."

Hull and the girl's parent had known each different for astir 15 years, according to Brun, and helium was unsocial with her astatine the room erstwhile Sayer walked successful and opened fire.

"I deliberation that the intelligence broadside of it astir apt hasn't deed her yet," Brun told the Bee. "That's a batch to process."

Sayer's father, David Sayer, told the San Francisco Chronicle that his lad was a "shy small boy" who was "high-functioning" connected the autism spectrum. He had conscionable graduated from precocious schoolhouse with honors connected June 5.

"Brad has ever been a delicate small flower," David Sayer claimed. "He's ne'er harmed anybody. I can't accidental that anymore."

Brad Sayer was "never angry," according to his father. The 2 of them precocious booked a travel to Las Vegas to observe his graduation. David Sayer said helium spoke to him conscionable 2 hours earlier the shooting and thing stood out.

"I conscionable consciousness horrible for the radical that helium shot," David Sayer said. "It's hard to deliberation close now."

Police accidental they received aggregate 911 calls reporting gunshots and "screaming heard from wrong the Butte County Library" a small aft 5 p.m., according to the CPD release. As officers arrived and approached the beforehand doors, Brad Sayer allegedly exited from the eastbound broadside of the building, wherever a perimeter had already been established, and was taken into custody without incident.

Hull was transported to the infirmary and aboriginal succumbed to his injuries. A 74-year-old patron, Robert Johnson, was pronounced dormant astatine the scene. A pistillate juvenile was changeable and transported to the infirmary with non-life-threatening injuries.

"She was treated and reunited with family," the CPD merchandise says.

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A hunt of Brad Sayer's vehicle, which was located successful the room parking lot, reportedly uncovered 2 further guns. "The root of the firearms successful Sayer's possession is inactive being determined," the CPD merchandise says.

FBI Special Agent Sid Patel told reporters that Brad Sayer "was a instrumentality and a instrumentality for immoderate clip of societal media involving Columbine-type shootings" and "unfortunately made a heavy dive into that societal media community," according to the Chronicle.

"This 'natural selection,' we believe, is simply a notation to Eric Harris," Patel said. "[Brad Sayer] evidently mislaid his mode successful that and decided yesterday to enactment successful copycat."

Brad Sayer is facing charges of first-degree execution and is expected to beryllium charged with attempted murder, the Chronicle reports. He was scheduled to beryllium arraigned Thursday successful Butte County.