A school shooting in California has left two young children critically injured, while the gunman died by suicide at the scene.
The attack occurred on Wednesday at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists near Oroville, approximately 55 miles from Sacramento.
Authorities identified the gunman as 56-year-old Glenn Litton, who used a false pretense to gain entry to the school.
According to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea, Litton scheduled a meeting with a school administrator to discuss enrolling a student.
During the meeting, he toured the campus, but events took a tragic turn when Litton moved toward a bathroom and began firing.
Two kindergarten-aged children, aged six and five, were struck by gunfire outside a classroom.
Litton then turned the weapon on himself, and first responders found him dead with the firearm near his body.
The injured children were transported to a trauma center, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
Sheriff Honea described their injuries as “very, very serious” and noted that they face a long recovery.
Investigators discovered a note left by Litton detailing his motive. The note cited the war in Gaza and America’s involvement in global conflicts as reasons for the attack.
It specifically mentioned a response to “genocide and oppression of Palestinians” and “attacks towards Yemen.”
Litton had a history of mental health issues and a criminal record, including charges of theft, fraud, and forgery.
The shooting prompted authorities to issue a state-wide alert to other schools affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Sheriff Honea emphasized that investigators believe this was an isolated incident but took precautionary measures to ensure the safety of other institutions.
The remaining 35 children at the school were safely evacuated to a nearby church and reunited with their families.
The school is affiliated with the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, a Protestant Christian denomination with over 21 million members worldwide. In North America, the church has about one million members.
Sheriff Honea expressed gratitude that the young victims survived but acknowledged the difficult journey ahead for their recovery. “I’m thankful that they are still alive, but they have a long road ahead of them,” he said.
