The young students critically wounded by a crazed gunman in their California schoolyard have been identified as kindergarteners named Elias and Roman.
The pair were struck by bullets when a 56-year-old homeless man and career criminal Glenn Litton opened fire at the tiny Feather River Seventh-Day Adventists school Wednesday before shooting himself dead.
Elias, just five-years-old, was shot through the chest and abdomen, according to a verified GoFundMe page posted by his grandparents.
The bullet tore through Elias’s chest and abdomen, “piercing and nicking multiple organs.” Debbie Wolford/Facebook
Roman, 6, was also shot and is in critical but stable condition. Sherri Frietas/Facebook
A picture of Roman in the hospital after the shooting. Vanessa Diaz/Facebook“The bullet went through his chest and abdomen, piercing and nicking multiple organs before exiting,” little Elias’ grandparents, Monte and Debbie Wolford wrote. “He was airlifted to the hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to stop the bleeding.’
“He is currently sedated and on a ventilator in PICU, awaiting additional surgery. Though in critical condition, he is stable at the moment.”
Two children were shot at the small private school on Wednesday. APRoman – a six-year-old with a twin brother – was also struck, and is also in critical but stable condition, according to his sister Vanessa, who wrote on Facebook that the boy is “showing incredible strength.”
“His recent surgeries have been successful, but he still has more to come and a challenging recovery ahead. We are grateful for the amazing medical team working tirelessly to help him heal,” she added.
The gunman died from a self-inflicted wound after the attack. FALLON ORTIZ/TMX via REUTERSLitton gained access to campus by posing as a grandparent interested in enrolling his son at the school and then opened fire after a meeting with the principal, Butte County officials said.
The gunman — who had a long history of mental health issues and alarming criminal behavior — left behind a twisted note in which he called for “child executions,” and seemingly hinted at his deranged motive, according to the officials.
“Countermeasure involving child executions has now been imposed at the Seventh Day Adventist school in CA, U.S. by the international alliance,” he wrote in the note recovered by investigators.
Police officers stand near a body covered by a tarp outside of Feather River Adventist School after a shooting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Oroville, Calif. AP“I, Lieutenant Glenn Litton of the alliance carried out countermeasure in necessitated response to America’s involvement with genocide and oppression of Palestinians along with attacks towards Yemen.”
Litton had attended a different Seventh Day Adventist school when he was a child.
County Sheriff Kory Honea characterized his writings as delusions coming from his mental illness, saying he “pulled information from various sources, and it all came together in his mind to create a reality that is false.”
Litton has been in and out of prison since he was a juvenile, mostly for theft, identity theft and drug charges, Butte County officials said.
He was released from jail after pleading not guilty to burglary charges just two days before the heinous shooting.
Feather River — a school of just 33 students — is located outside of Palermo and about 45 miles north of Sacramento.
