Two children were wounded Wednesday when a gunman opened fire at a small religious school in Northern California before apparently taking his own life, sheriff’s officials reported.
The shooting occurred around 1 p.m. at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists, a private K-8 institution with fewer than 35 students in Palermo, approximately 65 miles north of Sacramento. One child was airlifted to a hospital, though officials have not released information about the victims’ ages, genders, or conditions.
“911 calls reported an individual on campus who had fired shots at students,” said Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea. Responding deputies found the shooter’s body near the playground equipment, covered by a blue tarp. Honea said the gunman appeared to have no connection to the school, and investigators are working to identify him and determine a motive.
Students were evacuated to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene for reunion with their families. “My heart is breaking for everyone impacted by this tragedy,” said Assemblyman James Gallagher, whose district includes Palermo. “As a community, we’ll all be hugging our loved ones closer today.”
The incident joins dozens of U.S. school shootings in recent years, including devastating attacks in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas. Firearms became the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to nonprofit health research organization KFF, though these tragedies have prompted little change in national gun laws.
