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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 are in a condition described as "critical but stable" following a shooting at a school in California. The incident occurred on a rural campus in Northern California, where two boys were injured by a gunman. The suspect reportedly has a criminal history and mental health issues.

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 meant to be a quick trip before returning to class.

Instead, shortly after that, they were shot and severely injured by an individual who was wielding a gun.

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

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over the situation, as she has been by her brother Roman’s side in the intensive care unit where he is unconscious. She described the experience as heartbreaking.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys are now in "critical but stable" condition, providing some hope to the rural community located around 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has experienced a lot of sadness in recent years. Residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to help 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 the loss of 85 lives and the destruction of the town of Paradise, located approximately 20 miles away. A year prior to this fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly gather their belongings and evacuate the town due to fears of a potential eruption of the Oroville Dam.

During the shooting on Wednesday, it is believed by authorities 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 later took his own life.

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