An armed man shot and injured two children at an elementary school in California on Wednesday before taking his own life, local police and media reported.
The incident occurred at a school in the town of Palermo, California, approximately 90 kilometers north of Sacramento, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities stated that the suspected gunman was dead and urged parents to collect their children from a nearby church. They did not mention injuries among students in their initial announcement.
BCSO is on scene of an active incident involving a shooting at Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo. Students are being taken to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene, located at 2238 Monte Vista Avenue, Oroville. pic.twitter.com/01cJ2K1FS7
— Butte County Sheriff (@ButteSheriff) December 4, 2024
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea explained to local television station KCRA, part of NBC’s national network, that the suspected perpetrator had been found dead from a self-inflicted wound when police arrived at the scene.
Megan McMann, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, confirmed these details to Reuters. She explained that the man had opened fire on students at around 1:09 PM local time and noted that two students had been injured and transported to a hospital for treatment. McMann said she was not aware of the severity of their injuries.
Authorities stated that the motive of the gunman, who later took his own life, remains unknown. Sheriff Honea added that investigations were ongoing to determine whether the man had any connection to the school, which serves around 33 students aged 5 to 13.
The United States, which has more firearms in circulation than people (approximately 400 million guns), continues to suffer from the devastating consequences of gun proliferation and easy access to weapons. The nation sees tens of thousands of gun-related deaths annually—far more than in any other economically developed country. Efforts to introduce stricter gun controls have largely been ineffective, often hindered by the powerful influence of the gun lobby in Congress.
Also read: Tragic shooting in Greece: Three-year-old succumbs to head injury
Photo source: CNN
Source: ANA-MPA-Reuters-ABC
