Authorities told the New York Times they believe a gunman targeted a northern California school Wednesday — wounding two kindergartners — because of the school’s affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The shooting victims — two boys, ages 5 and 6 — are now in “critical but stable condition,” the Butte County Sheriff’s Office told KOVR-TV in a Thursday report. The suspect was found dead with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff’s office added to the station. A California Highway Patrol officer found a handgun next to the suspect, KOVR noted.
A 6th-grade student said she helped her teacher comfort younger students as the gunman was outside the classroom.
The shooting happened around 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo, authorities told the station.
The Times said authorities did not provide more information about why the gunman wanted to target the Seventh-day Adventists, but the paper added that Sheriff Kory Honea said it was believed to be an isolated incident.
While authorities weren’t aware of any prior threats the gunman made against the school or other schools connected with the Seventh-day Adventists, the Times said neighboring communities were alerted about the possible motive, and police were dispatched to other schools affiliated with the church.
What else do we know?
The two shooting victims were taken to a Sacramento-area hospital and were in “extremely critical condition,” Honea said Wednesday, according to KOVR.
While they were in “critical but stable” condition Thursday, the station said the two students are continuing to received treatment at a local hospital.
The sheriff’s office told KOVR the suspect has been positively identified, but his name has not been released. Deputies said they don’t believe there is any connection between the suspect and the victims, the station said.
Honea added to KOVR that investigators are looking into a “story” that the suspect called a few days prior to the shooting to schedule a Wednesday appointment at the school with an administrator. The station said reports indicate the suspect showed up trying to enroll a child, but deputies don’t believe a child was with him.
After the Wednesday meeting with the administrator, gunshots were heard, Honea told KOVR. A 6th-grade student said she helped her teacher comfort younger students as the gunman was outside the classroom, the station said.
The school serves about 35 students from kindergarten to eighth grade, KOVR said, adding that Honea indicated no security officer was stationed at the school, and that’s not part of the school’s everyday routine.
Students were taken to the gymnasium until authorities could bring school buses to the scene, the station said, adding that they were taken to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene where they were reunited with their families.
Honea also told KOVR an Uber driver dropped off the suspect at the school, and investigators are interviewing the driver to learn more information about what may have transpired before and during the ride.
More from the station:
The shooting appears to be isolated to the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, but Honea said he provided other law enforcement agencies in California with information to be vigilant when it comes to Seventh-Day Adventist schools as it appears the school may have been targeted due to its affiliation.
The Times said Elizabeth Lepe Arredondo — a former teacher at the school whose children were also students — described Feather River as a beautiful school “out in the open country” with a strong sense of community and values deeply rooted in the teachings of Seventh-day Adventist Church.
KOVR described Palermo as a town populated by more than 5,000 people and situated just south of Oroville, about 30 miles south of Chico, and 65 miles north of Sacramento.
You can view a video report here about the shooting.
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