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Two young children in kindergarten were hospitalized in Northern California after being shot by a gunman at their rural school. The suspect, who has a criminal record and mental health issues, is currently in custody. The children are in stable condition but their injuries are serious.
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 their classroom.
Shortly afterwards, instead of the expected outcome, they were injured by a shooter who fired at 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 being rushed to hospitals urgently.
Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over the situation, stating that it is a terrible experience to see her brother Roman 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 were now in "critical but stable" condition, bringing some hope to the rural community located about 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has experienced a lot of hardships in recent years. Residents were already coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to support the victims and their families, just like they had 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 complete destruction of the town of Paradise, located approximately 20 miles away. Additionally, a year prior to this fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly evacuate their homes due to fears of the Oroville Dam potentially flooding.
During the shooting on Wednesday, it is believed by authorities that the shooter, Glenn Litton, 56, specifically chose to target 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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