Kindergartners Are ‘Critical but Stable’ After California School Shooting

On Wednesday, two young boys from Feather River Adventist School, Roman Mendez, 6, and Elias Wolford, 5, were on their way to the restroom during lunchtime, a seemingly routine moment before returning to class. However, within moments, their lives were shattered as they were shot and seriously wounded by a gunman.

The boys were quickly rushed from the small campus near Oroville, California—one by ambulance and the other by helicopter—hastening to nearby hospitals in critical condition.https://wordpress.com/

Vanessa Diaz, Roman’s sister, spoke with heartbreak as she visited him in the ICU. “It’s horrible,” she said, describing her brother’s condition as he remained unconscious. “It’s just heartbreaking.”

By Thursday, both boys were reported as “critical but stable” by the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, providing a ray of hope to the rural community, about 60 miles north of Sacramento. The community, already familiar with loss and hardship, began organizing fundraisers, vigils, and support for the victims and their families. Just a few years ago, this area had suffered the devastating Camp Fire, which claimed 85 lives and destroyed Paradise, a town nearby. A year before that, residents had feared for their lives due to a potential collapse of the Oroville Dam.

The gunman, later identified as 56-year-old Glenn Litton, appeared to target the school due to its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. After carrying out the attack, he took his own life.

Authorities revealed that Litton had arranged a meeting with the school’s principal to discuss enrolling his grandson, which appeared to be a ruse to gain access to the school grounds. After the meeting, he toured the campus and then, rather than leaving, turned back toward the playground, where gunshots and screams followed.

Responding quickly to a 911 call, deputies and a California Highway Patrol officer arrived at the scene minutes later, finding the two boys injured and Litton deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Litton, a man with a long history of mental health issues, believed he was a member of a paramilitary group tasked with executing children, based on writings investigators uncovered. While it remains unclear why Litton chose this particular school, he had previously attended an Adventist school in Paradise, and he had scheduled another meeting at a different Adventist school in Red Bluff the day after the attack.

Born in Chico, California, Litton had a criminal history, including convictions for identity theft and petty theft, though none of his offenses were violent. Despite his past, Litton was legally barred from purchasing a firearm. Investigators believe the weapon used in the shooting was a “ghost gun,” a homemade, untraceable firearm.

Roman suffered two gunshot wounds that punctured his liver and spleen, and is undergoing multiple surgeries at U.C. Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, with more scheduled. His twin brother, Elias, was struck in the abdomen. Both boys face a long recovery, but Sheriff Kory Honea, who visited them and their families in the trauma center, emphasized that their survival was a “miracle.”

The Feather River Adventist School, a close-knit institution with about 35 students, has long been a central hub for the community, hosting sports games and events. Stephanie Reynolds Bever, a local resident, was planning a vigil to support the boys’ families, which coincided with the town’s annual Christmas tree lighting.

“This has shaken everyone,” said Dale Orlando, whose daughter attends Feather River. “We all go to the same church. We’re just trying to hold our loved ones closer.”

The Northern California Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists, which runs the school, expressed its sorrow over the tragedy, closing all its schools for the day to allow families to grieve together.

“We are deeply saddened by the events that occurred today,” the organization said in a statement. “Join us in praying for these children and their families.”