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Two young children in kindergarten were taken to hospitals for treatment after being shot by a gunman at their rural school in Northern California. Officials reported that the suspect had a record of criminal activity 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 just a quick trip before they went back to their classroom.
Shortly after that, they were shot and seriously injured by someone with a gun.
Two young boys named 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 visits her brother Roman in the ICU, where he is still unconscious. She described it as a heartbreaking experience.
On Thursday, the boys were reported to be in a better condition of "critical but stable" by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. This news brought a sense of hope to the rural community located about 60 miles north of Sacramento, which has faced numerous hardships in recent years. The residents were coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and gather financial support for the victims and their families, showing their solidarity just like they had done in previous tragic events in this agricultural area.
Residents in this area experienced the Camp fire six years ago, resulting in the death of 85 people and the destruction of Paradise, located approximately 20 miles away. Additionally, the year before the fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly pack their belongings and evacuate the town due to fears of the Oroville Dam potentially bursting.
During the shooting on Wednesday, it is believed by authorities that the gunman, named Glenn Litton, who was 56 years old, intentionally targeted 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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