NEWTOWN, Conn. – Two kindergarten students, boys ages five and six, were severely wounded in an attack that took place on Wednesday at a religious elementary school in Butte County, CA. The two wounded children are in critical condition and being treated at a trauma center.
Police have said the attacker is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and gained access to the Feather River Adventist School under the pretense of meeting with an administrator to enroll a child at the school. They reportedly have no connection to the victims.
In response, Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, her six-year-old that was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, issued the following statement:
“In the wake of this shocking and senseless act, our hearts are with these two precious children and their families as they begin a long road ahead dealing with their trauma. We wish them strength and stand with them in solidarity, demanding answers as to why and how this happened.
“An attack such as this goes against everything we stand for as a nation. No one should ever experience shootings in the places where children should be safest. Every single one of us – especially children so young – has a right to be free from gun violence. This abhorrent act deserves no place in our society.
“To create a safer future for all children, we must come together. By teaching the warning signs of potential violence and how to get help, we can save lives. And we must also continue to call upon our leaders to enact bipartisan laws that protect every U.S. resident from the threat of gun violence. Only by working together can we end this public health epidemic.”
For more information on the warning signs of violence, visit sandyhookpromise.org/warning-signs.
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.
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