Shooting at Adventist School in Northern California
05 December 2024 |
At 1:08 pm on Wednesday, December 4, a 911 call came into the California Highway Patrol regarding an active shooter situation at Feather River Adventist School, located on Cox Lane and Highway 70 between Oroville and Palermo. The call was transferred to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office, but a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer arrived first on the scene at 1:10 pm. The CHP officer was directed to the body of the shooter, who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A handgun was found next to the suspect.
At 1:14 p.m, a squad of law enforcement arrived. Half secured the campus, and the other half addressed the discovery of two kindergarten students who had been shot. Once the campus and classrooms had been cleared, the students and faculty were moved to the school gymnasium until they could evacuate by bus to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene.
The two injured boys were aged five and six years old; they were rushed to a Sacramento-based hospital and are “in extremely critical condition.”
The unnamed shooter had allegedly gained access to the school by scheduling an appointment with an administrator under the pretense of potentially enrolling a child in the school. On Wednesday, the shooter was dropped off by an Uber driver, who is currently working with the police as they seek more information.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea made a statement detailing the shooting and the aftermath. The school has 35 students and has never employed a full-time security guard. The FBI has been notified and will join in the investigation, as well as partnering with the state and local officials.
It is unknown whether the shooter targeted Feather River Adventist School for religious reasons, or if it was a random choice, but Honea believes it is an isolated incident. Connections between the unknown shooter and the school are being investigated, as authorities fear religion might have been a motivating factor. As a precaution, they have contacted law enforcement across California, as well as Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church leadership, to remain on high alert for any potential attacks in the future. All SDA schools in the Northern California Bay Area will be closed today (Thursday, December 5).
Sheriff Honea will be providing an update on the investigation today (Thursday, December 5) at 1 p.m Pacific Time.
