On June 22, 2026, 46-year-old Jacob Cody Hull was shot and killed inside the Butte County Library in Chico during a sudden attack that also killed 74-year-old Robert Johnson. Hull had been at the library with his girlfriend’s 7-year-old daughter, a routine outing in which he acted as a devoted father figure and encouraged the child’s interest in reading. The girl suffered minor injuries from broken glass.

Authorities say an 18-year-old man, Bradley Scott Sayer, conducted a walkthrough of the library, returned to his vehicle to retrieve a shotgun, then re-entered and began shooting. Police arrived within two minutes of the first 911 call and apprehended Sayer as he attempted to flee from the back of the building; he was taken into custody without further incident. Investigators reported Sayer appeared to have an obsession with the 1999 Columbine massacre and saw that as a possible inspiration; there was no known connection between him and the victims.

On June 25, 2026, Sayer was arraigned on two counts of murder with special circumstances; he did not enter a plea at that hearing. The prosecution has announced it intends to seek life without parole. Does anyone have information about Hull’s activities that afternoon or knew him well enough to help build a fuller picture of who he was?