California school shooting gunman identified as sheriff discusses motive and victims’ status

Kindergartners were just wrapping up lunch recess Wednesday at Feather River Adventist School, enjoying a sunny day on a playground featuring a colorful mural of flowers, and were just about to return to class.

The principal of the Northern California parochial school had just concluded a cordial meeting with a 56-year-old man who said he was interested in enrolling his grandson. He said his daughter moved to Gridley and that he was willing to pay tuition for his grandson.

But the man did not have a grandson. And he hadn’t offered the school his real name, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said during a Thursday news conference.

“As it turns out, that was all a lie,” Honea said.

Instead, he appeared to have singled out the campus for an attack.

Glenn Litton fired a handgun at least three times at two boys, ages 5 and 6, who suffered serious gunshot wounds and each required multiple surgeries, Honea said. The shooting sent off fear and uncertainty through the tight-knit religious community, which traces its Adventist roots on the West Coast back to Santa Rosa.

Authorities on Thursday identified the shooter and children who were shot while offering more information about Litton’s potential motive. Litton had “a lengthy criminal record and mental health issues,” Honea said. The sheriff and other law enforcement authorities described Litton as a homeless man who split his time between the Sacramento and Chico areas.

Litton arrived in an Uber, carrying a handgun, and shot the boys outside around 1 p.m. Wednesday after the meeting. The boys were rushed to Sacramento-area hospitals where they remained Thursday receiving treatment.

A California Highway Patrol officer who was first to arrive at the scene found Litton dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, Honea said.

Kindergartner victims required surgery

The boys underwent surgery, according to their respective families.

A bullet careened through the chest and abdomen of 5-year-old Elias Wolford, according to a GoFundMe created by his family. He was in the pediatric intensive care unit, awaiting further surgery, the fundraiser said.

“We are overwhelmed by the great outpouring of love, concern and especially prayers,” wrote the boys’ grandmother, Debbie Wolford, on a verified GoFundMe page. “You cannot know how much it means that there are hundreds, if not thousands, lifting Elias up before our Heavenly Father. Thank you.”

The second victim, 6-year-old Roman Mendez, underwent surgery after two gunshot wounds, Honea said. He still has a challenging road ahead with multiple surgeries. His family is also raising money for the travel and medical costs associated with his recovery.

Honea said the family is requesting privacy and have declined to talk to reporters.

Laurie Trujillo, a spokesperson for the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Church, said the community will be grieving for a long time.

“We are experiencing great pain within our school family, within our staff members, and throughout our entire community.”

Sheriff discusses shooter’s potential motive

Litton gave school officials a fake name. He created a fake grandson. And he described himself as being aligned with a global group whose existence authorities could find no record of, Honea said.

“Countermeasures involving child executions has now been imposed at the Seventh Day Adventist school in California, United States, by The International Alliance,” Litton wrote, according to Honea. “I, Lieutenant Glenn Litton, of the Alliance carried out countermeasure in necessitated response to Americas involvement with Genocide and Oppression of Palestinians along with attacks towards Yemen.”

Deputies worked with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to determine if there is a group called “International Alliance” but did not find any evidence supporting the group’s existence, Honea said. FBI Special Agent in Charge Siddhartha “Sid” Patel, who leads the Sacramento field office, implored residents to contact the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 if they have any information about Litton’s beliefs and ideologies.

“It appears he pulled information from various sources and it all came together in his mind to form a reality that perhaps is false or different from ours,” Honea said.

The sheriff declined to list the source of the statements Litton allegedly wrote.

Litton “researched” both Feather River Adventist School and the Seventh-day Adventist School in Red Bluff, Honea said. But he ultimately chose the Feather River Adventist School location on Highway 70, between Gridley and Palermo, Honea said.

The Red Bluff Seventh-day Adventist School did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Red Bluff Seventh-day Adventist Church referred a request for comment to the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which on Thursday closed all schools under its jurisdiction. They were set to reopen Friday.

The shooter did not appear to have a relationship with the students or the school, Honea said Wednesday. Litton did not have a student with him at the campus Wednesday.

Deputies after the shooting sequestered the remaining 35 students in the gym. They were then bused to Oroville Church of Nazarene, 10 miles north, where they were reunited with their parents. Crisis counselors and chaplains were also on hand to help the children process the tragedy that had unfolded.

A vigil has been scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Friday in downtown Oroville by the Christmas tree near the Oroville Convention Center. The organizers, Oroville Church of the Nazarene, will help coordinate prayers for the victims and the community.

Residents are asked to bring their own candles or use their phones as lights.

This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 4:59 PM with the headline "California school shooting gunman identified as sheriff discusses motive and victims’ status."