Around one pm on Wednesday, December 4, a gunman opened fire at the small Feather River School of Seventh Day Adventists in Palermo, California. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found two kindergartners, a five-year-old and a six-year-old boy, had been shot. The two were rushed to a local hospital in Sacramento in “extremely critical condition.”
The shooter fled the scene before authorities arrived, but they later found his body next to the highway along with a handgun. The shooter was pronounced dead by an apparent self-inflicted shot to the head. Police have identified the suspect but have yet to release his name. They confirmed there was no connection between him and the victims.
Police have also confirmed that the suspect was taken to the school by an Uber driver. They are now questioning the driver but are unsure whether he knew the suspect’s motives.
The shooter made an appointment to meet with the school administrator regarding “enrolling a student” on Wednesday. When he met with the administrator, he did not have a student with him, and it was unclear whether he had one in his custody. He fired shots shortly after the meeting.
On Thursday morning, the Butte County Sheriff’s Department released an updated statement on the two students, confirming that they have been moved to stable, yet critical, condition. “I am thankful that they are still alive, but they have a long road ahead of them,” Sheriff Kory Honea said.
The school is now closed as students and staff cope with the trauma. One-sixth grader reported that she helped her teacher quiet and comforted younger students when the gunman was outside their classroom. The Butte County of Education will deploy crisis response staff to help relax all those traumatized by Wednesday’s events when they reopen the school.
The K through eighth grade school does not deploy a school security officer daily. The FBI and the Butte County Sheriff’s Department are now investigating.
