OROVILLE, Calif. — California investigators shed new gentle on the taking pictures at a Northern California Christian faculty that has left two kindergarteners within the hospital in vital and steady situation, revealing that the deceased shooter had focused the Feather River Adventist Faculty.
Butte County, California, Sheriff Kory Honea recognized the victims as Roman Mendez, 6, and Elias Wolfard, 5. They have been enjoying within the playground on the Oroville faculty when the suspect opened hearth, the sheriff mentioned.
Butte County Sheriff’s Workplace
Honea mentioned Roman was shot twice and had inner accidents and Elias was shot as soon as within the stomach. They’re nonetheless being handled for his or her gunshot wounds and can want a number of surgical procedures, in keeping with the sheriff.
“They’ve a really lengthy highway forward of them,” he instructed reporters at a information convention Thursday.
Honea careworn that the investigation was ongoing however revealed the identification of the shooter, his many years of legal historical past and a few clues into his motive behind the incident.
Glenn Litton, 56, referred to as the varsity, which is affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a number of days in the past utilizing an alias to arrange an appointment with the principal, in keeping with the sheriff. Litton claimed that he was seeking to enroll a grandchild on the faculty. The shooter, who was homeless, has no grandchildren, in keeping with Honea.
“It seems to us that story was a ruse so he may arrange an appointment so he had entry to the campus,” he instructed reporters.
After the assembly ended, the shooter walked to the playground of the varsity, brandished a handgun and opened hearth. The shooter took his personal life, in keeping with investigators.
Police have been referred to as and a California Freeway Patrol trooper was the primary to reach on the scene, discovering the 2 wounded college students and the suspect’s physique. The boys have been rapidly rushed to hospitals.
The suspect had an extended legal historical past with arrests relationship again to when he was a baby, in keeping with native investigators and the FBI, which is helping within the investigation. The suspect spent a number of stints in state and federal prisons for varied crimes together with forgery, investigators mentioned.
Within the final 12 months, the shooter had been charged with new counts in each California and Arizona. In March, he was accused of stealing money from a CVS in Phoenix the place he labored a number of days, investigators mentioned.
Final month, the shooter was launched from a San Bernardino County jail after he was arrested for stealing a U-Haul. He pleaded not responsible, was launched on his personal recognizance and was picked up by a relative, the sheriff mentioned.
Honea mentioned that the shooter lived in motels in Chico and Sacramento within the two weeks earlier than he took a bus and an Uber to the varsity.
The shooter attended a Seventh-day Adventist Faculty in Paradise, California, a few years in the past and had a relative who attended the focused faculty a few years in the past, investigators mentioned. Nonetheless, investigators mentioned there isn’t a present connection between the varsity and the suspect.
The shooter did lookup one other Seventh-day Adventist faculty within the space and had suspicious notes that talked about the church, in keeping with Honea.
Investigators mentioned they uncovered writings by the shooter that made unverified claims the varsity was linked with issues regarding the ongoing battle within the Center East. Honea mentioned there isn’t a indication that the shooter’s claims are true.
“He had important psychological well being points and pulled data from varied sources and all of it pulled collectively to type a actuality that’s false,” the sheriff mentioned.
Investigators mentioned that as a convicted felon, the shooter couldn’t legally have a firearm and it appeared the weapon used within the taking pictures was a ghost gun. Investigators are nonetheless in search of clues and are involved with the suspect’s sister however famous that he didn’t have shut relations together with his household.
The college, which teaches kindergarten to eighth grade and has a complete of 35 college students, stays closed and counselors have been made accessible to the scholars and workers, in keeping with Laurie Trujillo, a spokeswoman for the Northern California Convention of Seventh-day Adventists.
Trujillo held again tears as she talked in regards to the ache and trauma that the varsity and church group are enduring and requested for folks of all faiths to ship their prayers.
“We all know the close-knit Feather Day group can be grieving for a very long time,” she mentioned.
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Friday in honor of the victims.
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