Global Courant 2023-05-07 01:10:27
A 17-year-old girl was killed and five others injured when a barrage of gunfire erupted early Saturday morning near the California State Chico campus, police said.
Officers responded to reports of gunshots fired in the 1000 block of Columbus Avenue around 3:30 a.m., according to Chico Police Chief Billy Aldridge. First responders found that six people had been shot: two 17-year-old girls and four men, ages 18, 19, 20 and 21.
One of the girls died of her injuries, police said. The five surviving victims were taken to hospital, where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
As of Saturday morning, no one had been arrested in connection with the shooting.
The shootings are believed to be the culmination of several violent episodes at two house parties in the city, Aldridge said.
Chico police were first sent to a large party at 12:27 a.m. in the 700 block of West 7th Street after someone fired several bullets from a firearm.
Investigators learned that a brawl had broken out because someone was asked to leave the party. The brawl sent two people to hospital after one of them was hit on the head with a firearm and another was hit on the head with a glass bottle.
At 3 a.m., officers were called to another party in the 1000 block of Columbus Avenue, where someone brandished a gun, police said. Officers cleared the party and arrested someone matching the description of the person who shot at the 7th Street party earlier that morning.
Less than half an hour later, police returned to the same block, where the six people were shot.
The shooting happened about a block from Cal State Chico, a college with about 14,000 students.
