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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 taken to hospitals in Northern California after being shot by a gunman at their rural school. The authorities reported that the suspect has a record of criminal activities and struggles with mental health issues. The condition of the children is described as "critical but stable."

Written by Soumya Karlamangla and Orlando Mayorquín

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

Two young children in kindergarten were walking to the bathroom during lunchtime on Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School. It was just a quick trip before they had to go back to class.

Instead, not long afterwards, they were shot and sustained serious injuries from a shooter.

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

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress at the situation, stating that it is very sad to see her brother Roman in the intensive care unit, where he is still unconscious.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys were now in "critical but stable" condition, bringing some hope to the rural community located about 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has faced a lot of hardship in recent years. Residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to support the victims and their families, just like they have done before in this farming 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. Additionally, a year prior, residents in Oroville had to quickly evacuate their homes due to concerns that the Oroville Dam might collapse.

During the shooting on Wednesday, investigators think that the shooter, named Glenn Litton, 56, chose to attack the parochial school due to its connection to the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian group. Litton then took his own life.

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