The father of Bradley Sayer, the 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting two people at a Chico, California, library on June 22, will not face criminal charges in connection with the incident, according to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey.
Ramsey stated that California's child access prevention laws do not apply in this case because Sayer, despite being a recent high school graduate, is legally an adult. Bradley Sayer turned 18 in October and is therefore not considered a "child" under the relevant statutes. The weapon used in the attack, a shotgun, was one of three firearms owned by his father, David Sayer, that were left unlocked in a closet at the family home.
"California Criminal Storage of a Firearm statutes all reference 'a child' in their provisions prohibiting access to firearms," Ramsey explained. "The suspect was not a 'child' under these California laws. None of those provisions provides for prosecution in this case."
Ramsey also noted that Bradley Sayer is not a convicted felon and was not otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms. "The suspect shooter" was charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances for the slayings of Jacob "Cody" Hull, 46, and Robert Johnson, 74.
David Sayer told The Post that he was unaware of his son's alleged obsession with violence and mass shootings, which investigators say he explored on the dark web. Bradley Sayer reportedly kept a "disturbing journal" and recorded a video detailing his plans. His father also stated he did not know his son had been consuming violent online material.
According to David Sayer, he was away from home on the afternoon of the shooting and returned around 9:15 p.m. to find his bedroom "ransacked." He reported to police that his two .22 rifles and the shotgun were missing. Ring camera footage from the home later showed his son leaving the property at 4:22 p.m. with the weapons concealed in a blanket and placing them in a Toyota Corolla.
Law enforcement received the first reports of gunfire and screams at the library at 5:12 p.m. Bradley Sayer was taken into custody by approximately 5:16 p.m. Prosecutors said only the shotgun was used in the attack, as the .22-caliber rifles remained in the trunk of Sayer's car.
David Sayer described his son as a loner with no friends, who was diagnosed with autism at age two. He said his son had no "mean bone in his body" and that his social skills were lacking, attributing his son's actions to his autism and lack of social connections. Court documents from 2022 revealed that his parents had previously debated his access to firearms during a contentious divorce, with his mother expressing concern and his father believing shooting guns "enriched his life."
Bradley Sayer's next court hearing is scheduled for July 16. He has not yet entered a plea.