The man suspected of shooting two kindergartners at a school in California believed that the religious organization governing the school was behind conflicts such as Israel’s war on Hamas and American assaults in Yemen.
Identified as Glenn Litton, a 56-year-old, the shooter entered the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists under the pretense of discussing enrolling a child before initiating the attack.
Statements made by authorities indicate Litton’s actions were politically driven. Evidence found, in the form of a note on Litton’s person, revealed his belief that the Seventh-Day Adventist Church was complicit in acts he described as ‘genocide’ and ‘oppression’ against Palestinians, along with American military actions in Yemen.
Litton – an alumnus of Paradise Adventist School as a child who may have had a relative who attended Feather River in the past – has a ‘lengthy criminal history and mental health’ issues, including convictions on theft, fraud and forgery. Authorities believe he was homeless.
Honea says they recovered a ghost gun at the scene. As a convicted felon, Litton cannot legally own a firearm.
The two victims – identified as 6-year-old Roman Mendez and 5-year-old Elias Wolfhard – are currently in critical but stable condition, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea.
Crowdfunding pages have been started for both victims and their families.
A Gofundme for Wolfhard says the shooter’s bullets ‘went through his chest and abdomen, piercing and nicking multiple organs before exiting.’
Glenn Litton, 56, has been identified as the shooter who walked onto the campus of Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, claiming to be meeting about enrolling a child, before opening fire
The two victims – identified as 6-year-old Roman Mendez (pictured right) and 5-year-old Elias Wolfhard (pictured left) – are currently in critical but stable condition, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea
Wolfhard was the victim who had to be air-lifted to a local hospital and is currently on a ventilator awaiting surgery.
A GiveSendGo page for Mendez does not indicate the boy’s injuries beyond saying he is in ‘critical condition.’ KCRA reported he has internal injuries.
‘The fact that they are currently still with us is a miracle,’ Honea said of the children, adding they will likely face additional surgeries and ‘have a very long road ahead of them, in terms of recovery.’
In recent years, Litton searched online for guns and explosives and wrote notes to himself to plan a non-specific mass incident, Butte County District Attorney Michael L. Ramsey said.
‘Just ruminations,’ the prosecutor said.
Ramsey said in 2015, the federal probation office noted that he had severe mental health issues dating to when he was 16 years old.
The shooting occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Wednesday at the private Christian school with fewer than three dozen students in Palermo, which has about 5,500 people and is about 65 miles north of Sacramento.
Honea said the shooter was in a meeting with an administrator about enrolling a child at the school, which he described as ‘cordial.’
The man suspected of shooting two kindergartners at a school in California before turning the gun on himself believed the religion that runs it is responsible for Israel’s war on Hamas and American attacks in Yemen
The sheriff says that he made up the story about enrolling his own grandson to get on the campus.
But it seems that was his first visit to the school and he did not know the victims. Shortly after that, shots rang out and people began screaming, Honea said.
The gunman’s body was found near the slide and other playground equipment on the grounds of the school, which abuts ranchland where cattle graze.
A handgun was found nearby, said Honea, who added they were trying to contact the shooter’s family before releasing his name.
Laurie Trujillo, a spokesperson for the Northern California Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, said in a statement that they were ‘deeply saddened by the events that occurred today at our Feather River school.’
She added that they are grateful to the sheriff´s office for acting quickly to protect the students.
The Seventh-Day Adventist Church is a Christian denomination in which members consider the Bible their only creed and believe that the second coming of Christ is near.
The Feather River School has been open since 1965, according to its website.
The private elementary school was put on lockdown on Wednesday afternoon.
After the shooting, authorities rushed students initially to a gymnasium where they stayed until a bus arrived to take them off the grounds and to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene to be reunited with their families, Honea said.
Travis Marshall, the senior pastor for the Oroville Church of the Nazarene, called the reunification between parents and their children ‘very moving.’
‘Some of the children were incredibly emotional,’ he said. ‘One woman was raising her hands up, praising the Lord’ when she found her child.
Sixth grader Jocelyn Orlando described what happened to CBS News Sacramento.
‘We were going in for lunch recess and basically everybody in my classroom heard shooting and most people were screaming,’ she said.
‘We all went into the office, we closed the curtains, locked the doors, basically did what we would do in a school shooting, and then one of the teachers came and we all ran into the gym.’
Assemblyman James Gallagher, whose area includes Palermo, said his ‘heart is breaking for everyone impacted by this tragedy.’
‘As a community, we´ll all be hugging our loved ones closer today as we pray for the victims and try to make sense of something so senseless,’ he said in a statement.
Honea added that the FBI is assisting in the investigation.
The school advertises itself as intending to give a ‘spiritually oriented education for children.’
Honea noted that this is a rural area with very few people in the building and they’re doing their best to take care of everyone.
‘I hope that people can appreciate how tough this is for the students of the school, the faculty of the school, the members of this community, all the first responders.’
‘We’re doing everything we can to determine what happened in addition to making sure that everybody is safe.’
California Highway Patrol closed State Route 70 to northbound traffic near the school and are diverting traffic west and another southbound road was closed for about an hour.
This is a breaking news story.
