A Chico State student was shot around 1 a.m. on Sept. 23 while sitting on a friend’s porch in the 600 block of West Seventh Street. According to a witness, the victim suffered a non-lethal gunshot wound to the arm.
Witnesses saw a man in dark clothing get into a dark-colored SUV before fleeing the scene, Chico police reported.
The student was transferred to Enloe Hospital for treatment. According to the witness, the bullet did not exit the victim’s arm and shattered it. He will need physical therapy.
According to the witness, the group of friends was sitting on a porch when they heard sounds they believed were fireworks until the fourth gunshot. They saw the man in dark clothing as well as the muzzle flash and realized he was shooting at them.
The witness recalls running into the house and around a corner before checking himself for gunshot wounds. He remembers seeing the victim walk inside after everyone else, complaining that his arm felt broken.
After realizing he had been shot, the group attempted to tourniquet the victim’s wound with a shirt until first responders arrived.
“All I could think about is how are we going to survive if this guy comes in here,” the witness said.
“All I could think about is how are we going to survive if this guy comes in here,” the witness said.
However the emotional toll is apparent, just from the witness’s account of the night.
“It’s just scary, ya know?” another Chico State student said. “We sometimes forget we are mortal people whose lives can completely change on the impulse of one messed-up person.”
“It’s just scary, ya know?” another Chico State student said. “We sometimes forget we are mortal people whose lives can completely change on the impulse of one messed-up person.”
The Chico Police Department is actively investigating the shooting and is asking anyone with information to call 530-897-4900.
---By Mitchell Kret