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Community Rallies After Kindergartners Injured in California School Shooting: A Story of Resilience and Support

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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Two young children in kindergarten were taken to hospitals in Northern California after being shot by a gunman at their rural school. Officials reported that the suspect, who has a history of criminal activity and mental health issues, is in custody. The children are currently in stable condition.

Authored by Soumya Karlamangla and Orlando Mayorquín.

Soumya Karlamangla provided coverage from San Francisco, while Orlando Mayorquín reported from Oroville, California.

Two young students in kindergarten were walking to the bathroom during lunchtime on Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School. It was meant to be a quick trip before returning to their classroom.

However, not long after, they were shot and severely injured by a person with a gun.

Two young boys named Roman Mendez, aged 6, and Elias Wolford, aged 5, were quickly taken from their school in a small area close to Oroville, California. One was transported by ambulance and the other by helicopter, both being rushed to hospitals urgently.

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress at the situation, mentioning that it is very difficult for her to see her brother Roman in the intensive care unit, where he is still unconscious. She described the experience as very emotional and heartbreaking.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys have shown improvement and are now in a "critical but stable" condition. This news brought hope to the rural community located about 60 miles north of Sacramento, which has experienced its fair share of challenges in recent years. Residents are already coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to help support the victims and their families, as they have done in the past in this agricultural area.

Residents in this area experienced the devastating Camp fire six years ago, resulting in the loss of 85 lives and the destruction of Paradise, a town located around 20 miles away. Just a year before this fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly pack up their belongings and evacuate due to fears of the nearby Oroville Dam potentially bursting.

During the shooting incident on Wednesday, authorities suspect that the gunman, named Glenn Litton, 56, specifically chose to target the parochial school due to its connection with the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian group. Litton ultimately took his own life after the shooting.

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