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Community Support and Resilience: Kindergartners ‘Critical but Stable’ After California School Shooting

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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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. The suspect, who has a record of criminal activity and mental health issues, is in custody. The children’s condition is described as "critical but stable."

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 returning to their classroom.

Rather than that, shortly after, they were severely injured by a shooter who fired at them.

Two young boys named Roman Mendez, aged 6, and Elias Wolford, aged 5, were quickly taken from their school located near Oroville, California. One was transported by ambulance and the other by helicopter, both being rushed to hospitals without any delay.

Vanessa Diaz expressed her distress over the situation, sharing that her brother Roman is currently in the intensive care unit and is unconscious. She described the experience as heartbreaking and difficult to bear.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that the boys were now in "critical but stable" condition, providing some hope to the rural community located around 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, located around 20 miles away. Additionally, a year before the fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly evacuate due to concerns that the Oroville Dam might burst.

During the shooting incident on Wednesday, it is believed by authorities that the shooter, identified as 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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