Bad blood turns bloody

Chico police say the alleged assailant and male victim involved in the weekend shooting inside a downtown Chico bar were involved in a fight approximately two weeks before.

The shooting took place shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday evening (July 2) on the back patio of LaSalles Bar. The alleged gunman, Shane Michael Warner, 25, a local hip-hop artist (pictured), was arrested minutes after Chico resident Isam “Sam” Smith, 23, took several rounds to the torso. Members of the venue’s staff said they saw Warner discard a firearm in a planter box and detained him until police arrived.

Police have identified about 60 witnesses, said Sgt. Rob Merrifield. A search warrant was also served at Warner’s Mulberry Street residence. So far, no gang affiliations have been confirmed.

As of press time, Smith was in serious condition. A second victim, 24-year-old Nicole Chin of Oakland, is supposedly a friend of Smith’s but is not believed to have been a target of the shooting, Merrifield said. She is listed in stable condition. Warner is being held at the Butte County Jail, awaiting attempted-murder charges.