11 views 3 mins 0 comments

Community Support and Resilience in the Aftermath of California School Shooting

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

Prom

Backed by

Two young children in kindergarten are in a serious but stable condition after being shot at their school in Northern California. The gunman, who has a criminal record and mental health issues, is responsible for the shooting.

Written by Soumya Karlamangla and Orlando Mayorquín.

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

Two young students from kindergarten were walking to the bathroom during lunch on Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School. It was meant to be a quick visit before returning to their classroom.

Instead, shortly after that, they were shot and seriously injured by a shooter.

After an incident at their school near Oroville, California, two young boys, Roman Mendez, age 6, and Elias Wolford, age 5, were quickly taken to hospitals for treatment. One was transported by ambulance and the other by helicopter, as there was no time to waste.

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over the situation, sharing that she has been at her brother Roman’s side in the intensive care unit, where he is currently 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 about 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 support 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 Paradise, a town located about 20 miles away. Just a year prior to this fire, the residents of Oroville had to hastily evacuate due to the fear 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 because it was associated with the Seventh-day Adventists, a branch of Protestant Christianity. Litton ultimately took his own life after the incident.

We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the article’s content.

To use this website, make sure to turn on JavaScript in

We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please sign out and log in to your Times account or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.

We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.

Have you already signed up as a member? Access your account

Interested in accessing all of The Times content? Subscribe now.

Prom

Index of Pages on the Website

Navigating Information