The man who shot two kindergarten children at a Northern California Christian school had a history of mental illness and pretended to be interested in enrolling a relative at the school to get onto campus, the Butte County sheriff said Thursday.
Glenn Litton, 56, killed himself after he shot the two boys, ages 5 and 6, at Feather River Adventist School near Palermo around 1 p.m. Wednesday, officials said.
They remained in critical condition Thursday. The 6-year-old had two gunshot wounds, and the 5-year-old had a gunshot wound to the abdomen, Sheriff Kory Honea said at a news conference Thursday.
According to doctors, it’s likely they will need further surgery, he said. “They have a very long road ahead of them in terms of recovery,” Honea said.
Investigators found a written statement in which Litton claimed to be a lieutenant in the “international alliance” and mentioned a response to “America’s involvements in genocide and oppression of Palestinians along with attacks toward Yemen,” Honea said.
Investigators could find no such group, he said.
“This individual did have some significant mental health issues,” Honea said. “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.”
Officials did not have information Thursday about any specific mental health diagnoses for Litton, but Honea said he had a “pretty clear history of mental health issues.”
“That’s not to suggest in any way whatsoever that people with mental health issues are violent, or all violent, because I don’t want to add to the stigma with that, but I think that’s part of the issue,” he said.
Probation reports from 2015 and 2022 noted that Litton had severe mental health issues going back to age 16, Butte County District Attorney Michael Ramsey said at the news conference.
Litton had served prison time for identity theft and other theft, and he was described as essentially homeless, splitting his time between Sacramento and the Chico area, according to Honea and other officials.
Litton is believed to have targeted the school of around 35 students because of its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Honea said.
He may have been looking at another school to target but ultimately chose the Feather River school. Investigators found he had also researched an Adventist school in Red Bluff, which is northwest of Chico, Honea said.
Litton had attended a Seventh-day Adventist school in the community of Paradise, also in Butte County, as a child. He may also have had a relative who attended the school he attacked many years ago, but Litton had no current involvement or connection with that school, Honea said.
He used a fake ID to schedule an appointment with the school a couple of days before the attack, under the guise of wanting to enroll a grandson there, Honea said.
That was a ruse for Litton, who does not have a grandson, to get onto campus, Honea said. After what was described as a cordial discussion with the school’s principal, Litton left, then turned toward a playground and opened fire, Honea said.
The school called 911 at 1:08 p.m. to report an active shooter. By the time a California Highway Patrol officer arrived at the school, Litton was dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Honea said.
A vigil will be held Friday in nearby Oroville at a tree lighting event downtown.
Laurie Trujillo, director of communication for the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said the school and the conference community are shocked. All of its schools were closed Thursday.
“We are absolutely devastated by this senseless act of violence,” she said. “Our church members here in the Northern California Conference continue to pray for all of those who have been affected by this tragedy.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
