By Christian Headlines | Created at 2024-12-05 17:20:28 | Updated at 2024-12-26 01:32:53
2 weeks ago
A gunman wounded two children at a Christian school in California Wednesday before taking his own life in an attack that apparently was motivated by the school's religious affiliation, the county's sheriff said. The gunman, whose name has not yet been released, met with a school official at Feather River Adventist School in Butte County, Calif., with the stated desire of enrolling a family member before he opened fire and shot two children, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea told media at a news conference. The two children, kindergarteners, are in "extremely critical condition," he said.
Feather River is a Seventh-day Adventist school about an hour north of Sacramento.
"We have received some information that leads us to believe that the subject responsible for the shooting targeted this school because of its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church," Honea said.
Honea urged the public to keep the two children in their "thoughts and prayers."
"We are still in the process of interviewing people who he may have been associated with," Honea said. "... We're working to essentially reconstruct this individual's activities over the course of today as well as into the past."
The gunman arrived at the school to attend a meeting, Honea said.
"He made an appointment to come to the school and meet with an administrator," he said. "His statement to school officials was that he wanted to explore the possibility of enrolling a family member as a student at the school. He did meet with a school administrator. I'm told that the meeting went, was cordial. There wasn't anything about the meeting that gave rise to concerns by the administrator."
The gunman subsequently opened fire.
The sheriff added that law enforcement is working to determine if the meeting was a "ruse to get onto the campus" or if he actually was interested in enrolling a family member.
Following the shooting, "it appears as though he took his own life."
About 35 students were taken to a safe location, a church, following the shooting.
Feather River is a K-8 school that provides "education in a Christ-filled environment," according to its website.
"The Feather River Adventist School family exists to show children, Jesus, nurture their love for Him and others, teach them to think, and empower them to serve," its website says.
WATCH: DEVELOPING | Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea Shares an Update on the Shooting
Prayer for Feather River Adventist School
Heavenly Father,
We come before You with heavy hearts, grieving for the children, families, and community affected by this senseless act of violence. Lord, we lift up the precious children who were wounded, asking for Your miraculous healing and strength to sustain them. Comfort their families with Your peace that surpasses all understanding, and surround them with love and support during this unimaginably difficult time.
Father, we pray for the entire Feather River Adventist School community that You would be their refuge and strength and a very present help during this difficult time. Bring unity and hope to this grieving community, and may Your presence bring light in the midst of darkness. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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