authorities told the New York Times They believe a gunman targeted a Northern California school Wednesday, injuring two kindergarteners, because the school is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
The shooting victims, a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old boy, are currently in “serious but stable condition,” according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office. told KOVR-TV In Thursday's report. The suspect was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff's office said. California Highway Patrol troopers found a handgun next to the suspect, KOVR noted.
The sixth-grade student said the attacker was outside the classroom and the teacher helped comfort the younger students.
The shooting occurred at the Seventh-day Adventist Feather River School in Palermo around 1 p.m. Wednesday, authorities told the station.
The Times said authorities did not provide details about why the gunman targeted Seventh-day Adventists, but Sheriff Cory Honea said it was believed to be an isolated incident. added.
Authorities were not aware of any prior threats the shooter had made against the school or other schools associated with Seventh-day Adventists, but The Times alerted the neighborhood to a possible motive. , reported that police were also dispatched to other schools affiliated with the church. .
What else do we know?
The two victims of the shooting were taken to Sacramento-area hospitals and are in “extremely serious condition,” Honea announced Wednesday, according to KOVR news agency.
On Thursday, the two students were in “serious but stable” condition, but the department said they were continuing to be treated at a local hospital.
The sheriff's office told KOVR that a suspect has been positively identified, but his name has not been released. Deputies do not believe there is any connection between the suspect and the victim, the department said.
Honea told KOVR that investigators are looking into a “story” that the suspect called to schedule a meeting with an administrator at the school on Wednesday, days before the shooting. The department said the suspect reportedly showed up to enroll the child, but officers do not believe the child was with him.
After Wednesday's meeting with administrators, gunshots were heard, Honea told KOVR. a a 6th grade student said She helped the teacher comfort the younger students because the attacker was outside the classroom, police said.
The school has about 35 students from kindergarten through eighth grade, KOVR said, and Honea said there is no security at the school and it is not part of the school's daily operations. he added.
The students were taken to the gymnasium until authorities could get a school bus to the scene and then taken to Oroville Church of the Nazarene, where they were reunited with their families, the department added.
Honea also told KOVR that an Uber driver dropped the suspect off at the school. Investigators are interviewing the driver and seeking more information about what happened before and during the ride.
Details from the station:
Although the shooting appears to have been confined to the Seventh-day Adventist Feather River School, the school has received alarming information regarding the Seventh-day Adventist school in California. It has been provided to other law enforcement agencies in the state, Honea said. Targeted based on affiliation.
Elizabeth Lepe Arredondo, a former teacher at the school whose children were students, described Feather River as an “open school” with a strong sense of community and values deeply rooted in Seventh-day teachings, The Times reported. It was reported that the school was described as a “beautiful school in the countryside”. Adventist Church.
KOVR described Palermo as a town of more than 5,000 people located just south of Oroville, about 30 miles south of Chico and 105 miles north of Sacramento.
You can view the video report here About shooting.
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