A suspected gunman shot two kindergarten students at a private religious school in Northern California on Wednesday before dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The incident took place around 1 p.m. local time at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Oroville, California, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea.
The California Highway Patrol, CHP and Butte County Sheriff’s Department received 911 calls about an active shooter at the school.
Deputies and CHP officers quickly responded to the scene, where they found a deceased adult male who appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, along with a handgun located near his body.
Upon arrival, deputies discovered two kindergarten boys, aged 5 and 6, who had sustained gunshot wounds.
Honea stated that the boys were transported to local hospitals for treatment and were reported to be in “extremely critical condition” as of Wednesday night.
After securing the campus, Honea stated that students were transported by school bus to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene to be reunited with their parents.
The Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists is a private K-8 religious institution that has been operating since 1965, according to its website.
Wednesday’s incident adds to the growing list of school shootings in the U.S. in recent years, many of which have garnered national attention, sparking public outrage and discussions about gun control.
This includes the Apalachee High School shooting earlier this year, which resulted in four deaths and nine injuries.
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