SACRAMENTO — A gunman killed two people and injured another at a library in Northern California on Monday, police said, adding that the suspect is in custody.
Just past 5 p.m. on Monday, the police in Chico, California, about 90 miles north of Sacramento, responded to reports of an active shooter inside the city’s Butte County Library branch, in a residential area less than half a mile from an elementary school.
The library was open during the shooting. On a 911 call, officers heard gunfire and screams, Chief Billy Aldridge of the Chico Police Department said during a news conference on Monday night.
“The incident tonight was obviously very sad and very traumatic for a lot of people — very traumatic for our community,” Chief Aldridge said, adding that he could not recall seeing anything like this in his time as chief.
Once officers were inside the library, the suspect fled out of the back, he said, adding that additional law enforcement behind the library took the suspect into custody.
“The incident this evening was obviously very sad, traumatic for a lot of people. Very traumatic for our community,” he said.
The streets around the library were closed temporarily and a family reunification center was set up for the people who were inside the building.
A child was also taken to the hospital with a minor injury.
Aldridge said there is no serious threat to the public and law enforcement are investigating the shooting.
The police didn’t release the suspect’s name nor details on what prompted the shooting. Law enforcement said they believe the shooter acted alone.
Law enforcement are also not releasing the names of the people killed until next of kin have been notified.
The county urged the public to avoid the area and said all Butte County library branches will be closed Tuesday.
The county in a post on Facebook offered “deepest condolences to everyone affected, including the victims, their loved ones, library staff, and all those impacted by this heartbreaking incident.”
The Chico police are investigating the shooting with the assistance of “multiple agencies” and will assess whether the gunman acted independently, Aldridge said. “We don’t feel like there’s any further threat to the public,” he added.
Mollie Macarthy-Openshaw, a Chico resident who lives down the street from the library, had considered returning the books her grandchildren had checked out, but decided against it.
Instead, she took her dogs for a walk — and sprinted home when she heard a round of gunfire nearby.
“Praise the Lord I chose not to go to the library,” Macarthy-Openshaw, 63, said.
“My thoughts and prayers go out to the people who have perished and their families,” she added.
Source: Saudi Gazette