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Two young children were taken to hospitals in stable condition after being shot by a gunman at their rural school in Northern California. The suspect, who has a criminal record and mental health issues, is now 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 from kindergarten were heading 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.
Instead, shortly afterwards, they were shot and seriously injured by a shooter.
Two young boys, Roman Mendez, aged 6, and Elias Wolford, aged 5, were quickly taken from their school in 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 it is difficult to see her brother Roman in the intensive care unit still 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 around 60 miles north of Sacramento. This community has faced a lot of hardships in recent years, but residents are coming together to organize fundraisers, hold vigils, and raise money to support the victims and their families, just like they have done in the past in this agricultural area.
Residents in this area experienced the Camp fire six years ago, resulting in the death of 85 people and the complete destruction of the town of Paradise, located about 20 miles away. A year prior to the fire, residents in Oroville had to quickly evacuate due to fears that the Oroville Dam could potentially burst.
During the shooting on Wednesday, authorities suspect that the gunman, named Glenn Litton, 56, specifically chose to target 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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