Add The California Post on Google The parents of accused Chico library shooter Bradley Sayer fought over his access to guns during their bitter divorce battle, the California Post can reveal.
The 18-year-old, said to be a “fan” of the infamous Columbine High School massacre, is accused of fatally shooting two men, Jacob “Cody” Hull, 46, and Robert Johnson, 74, during the June 22 attack.
Court documents exclusively obtained by The Post lay bare how Sayer’s mother, Vicki Sayer, 51, was against her autistic son being permitted to use weapons, while his father, David Sayer, 66, was in favor because, for the youngster, shooting guns “enriched his life.”
The parents also previously argued about how much screen time Sayer, a recent graduate of Chico High School, spent on his iPad.
On June 13, 2022, when Sayer was 14, Vicki’s family law attorney sent a letter to her soon-to-be-ex’s lawyer which stated: “Your client over the weekend had Bradley shooting guns, which Ms. Sayer considers a safety issue.
“Ms. Sayer does not believe it is appropriate for Bradley to be shooting guns. Bradley has autism and it appears that your client continues to not take this into consideration, as Bradley does not function as a normal child.
“My client does not know what to do about the fact that your client does not seem to understand Bradley’s limitation and needs. Simple things like taking Bradley’s IPAD from him is very hurtful to the child.”
The letter from Vicki’s family law attorney, Kimberly Steffenson, also made reference to forensic psychologist Dr. Eugene Roeder, who worked on their case and made recommendations regarding Bradley.
“Due to what occurred, Ms. Sayer will not be signing the Stipulation and Order and simply wants what Dr. Roeder recommended with the modification that Mr. Sayer is NOT to take Bradley shooting,” wrote Steffenson. “My client feels that input by Dr. Roeder is needed at this time.”
David’s attorney, Randy Bakke, then fired back in a tersely worded letter the same day: “There have always been guns in the family home, for the entirety of the marriage, that has included the raising of all three children until the date of separation.
“Any weapons, have and continue to be stored properly. At no time during the marriage was this of any concern to Ms. Sayer.
“Since the date of separation, Vicki has tried to dominate and manipulate David’s relationship with his son, Bradley.
“David has continued to provide consistent, age-appropriate activities that they have done together as a family, father and son, to continue to build their bond.”
Those activities included, “learning to target shoot with a BB Gun,” and “advancing to target shooting with a single shot 22.”
Also, “snow skiing and winter sports,” “water tubing,” “loading and stacking firewood,” and “golfing.” The letter added “all of these activities have been under the direct supervision of his father, David.
“These activities have enriched his (Bradley’s) life and have built a wonderful bond between father and son and continues (ed note: s on continues) to do so.”
Attorney Bakke’s letter continued: “It is very insulting and discouraging for David to hear the way that Ms. Sayer talks about their son as not being a ‘normal’ child.
“Because Ms. Sayer chooses to use and limit their son’s capabilities based on his diagnosis of autism, does not mean that David places the same limitations on him nor does he have to.
“David chooses to embrace who Bradley is and wants him to thrive and have as many opportunities as possible.”
In another communication, Bakke commented of the feuding parents: “The parties obviously have different parenting styles.”
During a Settlement Conference hearing on June 22, 2022, it was agreed that the warring couple, who have three sons, would share joint legal and physical custody of Sayer, the youngest, with Vicki granted “sole educational rights.”
She was also awarded sole legal custody of their middle son, Matthew, who was 17 at the time.
A document filed with the Butte County Superior Court, also stipulated that: “Bradley Sayer shall attend a gun safety class with his father on 8/6/22 from 8:00a.m. until the class finishes.”
It was also noted that Sayer would receive “individual counseling with the focus on his social issues, his isolation and withdrawal tendencies and the impact of his neuroatypical development on his behavior and functioning.”
The teen appeared in Butte Superior Court in Oroville, 75 miles north of Sacramento, on June 25, charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances.
During the arraignment hearing, he seemed to display a notorious hand sign associated with hate groups. No plea was entered. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of life without parole if the suspect is convicted.
Officials say he wrote “Natural Selection” in black marker on his white T-shirt in a bid to mimic the Columbine shooters during the library attack.
Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said Sayer was a “fan for some time” of the 1999 school shooting, and others, that left 12 students and one teacher dead.
He “had unfortunately a deep dive into that social media community, and obviously lost his way in that and decided yesterday to act in copycat.”
Four years ago, Sayer “fell down an internet rabbit hole” into online fandom communities that glorified mass shootings. It’s a very dark corner of the internet.”
Sayer recorded a video of the shooting, added Ramsey, that he uploaded online which mentioned his plan to kill as many victims as possible. He also left a “disturbing journal.”
The alleged killer had been staying at his dad’s home at the time and got hold of three firearms inside a bedroom closet, according to the DA’s office. The weapons included two .22 caliber rifles and a .20 gauge pump-action shotgun.
David described his son to the San Francisco Chronicle as a “shy little boy” who was “high-functioning” on the autism spectrum and “a delicate little flower.”
He added: “He’s never harmed anybody. I can’t say that anymore. I just feel horrible for the people that he shot,” David Sayer said. “It’s hard to think right now.”
The Post has reached out to Bradley’s parents for comment.
