Two boys, ages 5 and 6, shot at Northern California religious school; suspect dead

Two boys, ages 5 and 6, were hospitalized aft they were changeable astatine a spiritual schoolhouse and the suspected gunman is dormant from an evident self-inflicted gunshot successful the Northern California assemblage of Palermo connected Wednesday afternoon, according to the Butte County Sheriff's Office.

The bureau said that astatine astir 1 p.m. it received calls from Feather River Adventist School, a field tally by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, located astir 10 miles southbound of Oroville and astir 60 miles northbound of Sacramento.

The school's website says it serves children K-8, has been astatine its existent determination since 1965, and an update from 2022 says it had astir 35 students.

Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said that the preliminary probe indicates that the suspect, an big man, came onto the field to conscionable with the main to sermon the anticipation of enrolling a student.

Shortly aft that, the main heard shots being fired and schoolhouse officials determined that the boys were shot, Honea said.

Sheriff Honea said that the boys were taken to a hospital, 1 by helicopter.

The suspected gunman is believed to person died from a self-inflicted gunshot, and the suspected limb was a handgun, Honea said.

The remaining students were sequestered successful the gym and yet taken to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene successful Oroville to beryllium reunited with their parents.

"This is horribly tragic. It is hard to travel up with the words. We’re operating connected adrenaline, doing the things that request to beryllium done…we worked hard to marque definite that students are reunified with their parents," Honea said to media gathered adjacent the school.

Honea said that determination was nary denotation that the fishy had immoderate interaction with the schoolhouse until Wednesday and that determination did not look to beryllium a narration betwixt the fishy and the children changeable oregon the school.

Honea besides said that officials did not judge that a kid was contiguous during the gathering with the administrator.

The fishy is believed to person been dropped disconnected by a grey 4-door sedan that whitethorn person been a rideshare conveyance and that near instantly after, Honea said, adding that anyone with accusation astir the fishy oregon the conveyance telephone 530-538-7322.

"We’re nary alien to those kinds of things, but erstwhile you’re talking astir small kids similar this, who can’t support themselves, it truly does teardrop astatine the heart," Honea said.  

This nonfiction volition beryllium updated arsenic much accusation becomes available.