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Two young children in kindergarten are in stable condition after being shot at their school in Northern California by a gunman. The suspect, who has a criminal record and a history of mental health issues, is currently in custody.
Written by Soumya Karlamangla and Orlando Mayorquín.
Soumya Karlamangla provided coverage from San Francisco, while Orlando Mayorquín reported from Oroville, California.
Two young students in kindergarten were walking to the bathroom during lunchtime on Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School. It was a quick trip they were taking before returning to their classroom.
Instead, shortly after that, they were shot and suffered severe injuries from a shooter.
Two young boys, aged 6 and 5, named Roman Mendez and Elias Wolford, 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, stating that it is extremely difficult for her to see her brother Roman in the ICU, where he is still unconscious. She described the experience as heartbreaking.
The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys are now in a "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 sorrow in recent years. Residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to support the victims and their families, as they have done before in this agricultural area.
The people 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 approximately 20 miles away. Just a year prior to this fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly pack their belongings and evacuate due to fears of the Oroville Dam potentially collapsing.
During the shooting that occurred on Wednesday, authorities suspect that the shooter, named Glenn Litton, 56, purposely chose to target the parochial school due to its connection to the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian group. Litton ultimately took his own life after the incident.
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