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Community Rallies Together After California School Shooting: Kindergartners in Critical but Stable Condition

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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Two young children in kindergarten were injured in a shooting at a rural school in Northern California. The boys were taken to hospitals and are currently in a stable condition. The suspect, who has a criminal record and mental health issues, is in custody.

Written by Soumya Karlamangla and Orlando Mayorquín

Soumya Karlamangla covered the news from San Francisco, while Orlando Mayorquín reported from Oroville, California.

Two young children in kindergarten were walking to the bathroom during lunch on Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School. It was a routine trip before they returned to their classroom.

Instead, shortly after that, they were injured by a gunman who shot them.

Two young boys, Roman Mendez, age 6, and Elias Wolford, age 5, were quickly taken from their school near Oroville, California. One was transported by ambulance and the other by helicopter, both urgently heading to hospitals without delay.

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over the situation, mentioning that it is heartbreaking to see her brother Roman in the ICU, where he is still unconscious.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys are now in a "critical but stable" condition, providing some hope to the rural community located about 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has experienced a lot of tragedy in recent years, but residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, vigils, and support for the victims and their families, just 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 85 deaths and the complete destruction of the town of Paradise, located 20 miles away. Just a year before this fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly evacuate their homes due to concerns of the nearby Oroville Dam potentially breaking.

During the shooting on Wednesday, it is believed by authorities that the gunman, named Glenn Litton, targeted the parochial school due to its connection to the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian group. Litton later took his own life.

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