A gunman shot two kindergarten students, ages 5 and 6, at a small parochial school in rural California on Wednesday afternoon and then died from what the authorities believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a spokesman for the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said.
The authorities believe that the gunman targeted the school because of its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventists, a Protestant Christian denomination. The two students, both boys, are in “extremely critical condition” and are being treated for “very, very serious injuries” at a trauma center in the Sacramento area, Kory L. Honea, the sheriff of Butte County, said at a news conference Wednesday night.
At around 1:10 p.m., the authorities responded to the school, Feather River Adventist, in Oroville, Calif., about 60 miles north of Sacramento, after receiving 911 calls of an active shooter, said Megan McMann, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office.
Preliminary reports suggested that the gunman “came on to campus to meet with the principal to discuss the possibility of enrolling” a family member as a student in a meeting that was previously scheduled, Sheriff Honea said. The meeting was “cordial,” but Sheriff Honea said investigators were still trying to better understand whether or not that meeting was a “ruse” by the gunman so he could get onto the school grounds.
Shortly after the meeting ended, the principal heard shots being fired and screams, Sheriff Honea said. He believed that the students were outside of the classroom when the shooting took place.
When the authorities arrived, they found that the gunman, an adult male, was “down” with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff added. A handgun was found near the gunman’s body. The authorities are still looking into how the gunman obtained the gun.
The gunman arrived at the school in an Uber and the driver is being questioned about what was said during the drive, Sheriff Honea said. No other information about the gunman’s identity was available. Sheriff Honea said that it did not appear that the gunman had a prior connection to the school or the victims, but added that it was early in the investigation.
One of the boys who was shot was flown by helicopter to a hospital, while the other was taken via ground transportation, Ms. McMann said.
Other students at the school, which teaches roughly 35 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, were sequestered in the school’s gymnasium after the authorities arrived and were later taken to a church about 10 miles north of the school. Their parents were asked to pick them up at the church.
The F.B.I. is assisting with the investigation.
The authorities did not provide more information about why the gunman wanted to target the Seventh-day Adventists but Sheriff Honea said that they believed this was an isolated incident. They were not aware of any prior threats that the gunman had made against this school or other schools connected to the Seventh-day Adventists.
The authorities will be patrolling the school on Thursday. A time frame for when students will return to school and the Oroville campus was not immediately clear. Neighboring communities were alerted about the possible motive and the police were dispatched to other schools affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventists.
“The Governor’s Office and state agencies are coordinating with local officials, and state law enforcement is on the ground and assisting local law enforcement,” Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to the Oroville community, and the students, school staff, and families impacted by this horrific act of gun violence.”
John Linhares was the principal of Feather River from June 2017 to June 2023, and remains in close touch with the school community, his wife, Cathy Linhares said. “As soon as it happened, his phone was flooded with text messages from the kids,” Ms. Linhares said.
Elizabeth Lepe Arredondo, a former teacher at the school whose children were also students, described Feather River as a beautiful school in “out in the open country,” with a strong sense of community and values that is deeply rooted in the teachings of Seventh-day Adventist Church, which operates the school.
“It was a very small school, very close knit, very beautiful school,” Ms. Lepe Arredondo said. Classes were small, she said, which “made it great for teaching and giving children” the attention they need.
Sports are also an important part of the culture, she said. Every Saturday during her time teaching there, Ms. Lepe Arredondo would open the gym doors for local families to come play basketball, volleyball and pingpong. The school still holds those events, Ms. Lepe Arredondo said.
Ms. Lepe Arredondo said her job at Feather River was the best job she’s ever had.
“That was one of the jobs that really left a profound impression on me,” she said of her time at the school.
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