Gunman May Have Targeted California Religious School In Shooting That Wounded 2 Kindergarteners

Two children were in “extremely critical condition” after being shot at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.

The gunman may have targeted the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo on Wednesday because of its religious affiliation, but isn’t believed to have had a prior connection to the victims or the school, Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said. He didn’t explain further.

“Whether or not this is a hate crime or whether or not it’s part of some sort of larger scheme at this point I don’t have enough information to provide an answer to that,” he said.

The wounded children, boys ages 5 and 6, are kindergarteners at the school and were being treated at a trauma center in the Sacramento area, officials said.

“I am thankful that they’re still alive, but they’ve got a long road ahead of them,” Honea said.

Read more: AP