Chico shooting suspect wanted

The Chico Police Department is investigating a weekend shooting in the south-campus neighborhood that resulted in the hospitalization of a Butte College student.

According to the CPD, 20-year-old Khalil Abdulkarim was shot in the chest at about 2 a.m. Sunday (March 6). According to the Butte College 2010 football roster, Abdulkarim was a defensive lineman who came to Butte County from New Jersey. The sophomore Roadrunner is 6-foot-3 and weighs 260 pounds.

Lt. Mike O’Brien said the student athlete had attended an open-mic event at Café Culture earlier in the evening. He was shot in the parking lot of the venue, and ran across the street toward the Chico train station. O’Brien described the shooter as a light-skinned, heavyset black man, who is about 5-foot-8 or 5-foot-9 and between the ages of 20 and 22. He reportedly had some facial hair, and was wearing a red shirt, dark-colored jeans, and black doo-rag on his head.

O’Brien said Abdulkarim, who suffered a punctured lung, is expected to recover fully. He said the victim and shooter exchanged words prior to the shooting during an innocuous encounter. Police believe there are several witness to the incident. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact CPD at 897-4900.