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Community Rallies Together After Kindergartners Injured in California School Shooting

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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Two young children in kindergarten are in stable condition after being shot at their school in Northern California. The suspect, who has a record of criminal activity and mental health issues, opened fire on the school campus, leading to the boys being taken to hospitals for treatment.

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 a routine trip before returning to their classroom.

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

Two young boys named Roman Mendez, age 6, and Elias Wolford, age 5, were quickly taken from their small school near Oroville, California. Roman was taken in an ambulance while Elias was flown in a helicopter, both being rushed to hospitals with urgency.

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over her brother Roman’s condition in the intensive care unit, where he is still unconscious. She described the situation as heartbreaking.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys’ condition had improved to "critical but stable", bringing a sense of hope to the rural community located around 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has faced a lot of sorrow in recent years. Residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to support the victims and their families, just as they have done in the past in this agricultural area.

Residents in the area experienced the devastating Camp fire six years ago, resulting in 85 fatalities and the complete destruction of the town of Paradise, located approximately 20 miles away. Additionally, a year prior to the fire, residents in Oroville had to hastily evacuate their homes in fear of a potential eruption from the Oroville Dam.

The authorities suspect that the shooter in the incident on Wednesday, who was identified as Glenn Litton, 56, specifically chose to target the parochial school due to its association with the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian group. Afterwards, he took his own life.

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