Two boys, ages 5 and 6, were wounded in a shooting at a private California Christian elementary school Wednesday, and the suspected gunman is dead.
Shots rang out at the Feather River Adventist School in Butte County just before 2 p.m., the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said. The school is located near Palermo, roughly 65 miles north of Sacramento, FOX 40 reported.Â
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said the suspect, a man, arrived at the school’s campus to meet with the principal to discuss possibly enrolling a student.
Shortly after, the principal heard shots being fired, and school officials determined the boys were shot, Honea said.
The victims were taken to a hospital, one by helicopter. The suspected gunman, who was not identified, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
“This is horribly tragic. It is hard to come up with the words. We’re operating on adrenaline, doing the things that need to be done. … We worked hard to make sure that students are reunified with their parents,” Honea told reporters.Â
Students were taken to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene, where they will be reunited with their parents.Â
The suspect is believed to have been dropped off at the school by a gray 4-door sedan that may have been a ride-sharing vehicle, authorities said.Â
Honea said there was no indication the suspect had any contact with the school until Wednesday, and there didn’t appear to be a relationship between the gunman and the two victims or the school, according to the news outlet.Â
The school serves children K-8 and had a 2022 enrollment of 33 students, according to the school’s website.
The school and the sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
