Mass Shooting Incident Update
On May 6, 2023, around 12:27 a.m., Chico Police Patrol Officers were dispatched to a large party in the 700 block of W. 7th Street, where it was reported several rounds from a firearm were discharged.
Upon arrival, Officers learned a fight had occurred because an unknown suspect was asked to leave a party. During the fight, two victims were reported to have been assaulted, one was allegedly struck on the head with a firearm, and the other was allegedly hit over the head with a glass bottle. Both victims were treated at an area hospital and are in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
That same day around 2:59 a.m., CPD Patrol Officers were dispatched to a different large party in the 1000 block of Columbus Avenue, where it was reported a firearm was brandished. Upon arrival, Officers cleared out the large party. During the investigation into the brandishing of a firearm, Officers located a person matching the description of the suspect from the earlier incident on W. 7th Street. Officers developed probable cause related to the earlier incident and made an arrest for possession of a firearm and reckless discharge of a firearm.
Shortly after, around 3:26 a.m., CPD Patrol Officers were dispatched back to the 1000 block of Columbus Avenue for several victims struck by gunfire. Upon arriving on scene, it was determined six individuals had been shot; sadly, one victim did not survive. That victim has since been identified as 17-year-old Justina Stubbe.
The Chico Police Detective Bureau started investigating this crime immediately, working nonstop to find those involved. Every resource available to the Chico Police Department was activated and assigned to this case including the General Detectives, Violence Suppression Unit, School Resource Officers, and Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force Detectives.
On May 8, around 2:09 a.m., CPD Patrol Officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Arch Way for a report of shots fired into a residence. Officers arrived in the area and located two males running near the intersection of Marigold Avenue and East Avenue. One of the suspects, a 14-year-old male juvenile, was quickly taken into custody. The second male remained outstanding in the area. Chico Police deployed a UAS (drone) to aid in the search for the second suspect. The UAS pilot was able to locate the second suspect, later identified as 18-year-old Oscar Castrejon-Sanchez, hiding in a dry creek bed. Officers were guided to Sanchez’s location and took him into custody for shooting into an inhabited dwelling.
Officers searched the area where Sanchez was hiding in Sycamore Creek and located a bag containing two firearms and evidence possibly linking him to the mass shooting on Columbus Avenue. The CPD Detective Bureau immediately followed up with this case and started linking Sanchez to the shooting on Columbus Avenue; however, they still had significant levels of investigation to complete before charges were possibly filed against Sanchez.
On Thursday, May 18, in the early morning hours, CPD Detectives served two search warrants in Hamilton City. The Detectives were assisted by multiple agencies and specialty units to make this operation a success. During the search warrants, a second suspect in the Columbus Avenue shooting was located. He is identified as 21-year-old Marcos Douglas-Ayala of Hamilton City. During the search warrant investigation, probable cause was found, and Marcos was arrested on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder. Oscar Castrejon-Sanchez is expected to be arrested on one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder.
CPD detectives have also identified a third suspect in the case, 33-year-old Alejandro Manuel Douglas, who remains outstanding. Douglas was already wanted by the US Marshall’s Office for absconding from probation on a drug trafficking conviction in South Carolina.
The Chico Police Detective Bureau has worked tirelessly on this case and has teamed with multiple outside agencies providing mutual aid with staffing, expertise, and technology. We want to acknowledge the following:
- Butte County District Attorney’s Office
- Federal Bureau of Investigations
- US Marshall’s Office
- California Department of Justice in Chico and Redding
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- California Highway Patrol
- Chico Fire Department
- Butte County Sheriff’s Office
- Redding Police Department
- And the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office
If you or someone you know has information regarding the whereabouts of Alejandro Manuel Douglas (pictured), please call the Chico Police Investigations tipline at (530)897-5820 or any local law enforcement where he may be.