PALERMO – The suspected shooter who injured two preschoolers in Northern California was identified Wednesday as a 56-year-old man with a lengthy criminal justice and mental health history, authorities said.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea identified the suspect Thursday as Glenn Litton, a homeless man who moved between the Chico and Sacramento areas. After opening fire at the school, Litton died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Honea said.
Litton also attended an Adventist school in the nearby town of Paradise many years ago.
Honea said Litton had scheduled an appointment a few days prior at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists to discuss his grandson’s enrollment. Litton then took an Uber to the school for the meeting. After the meeting, Litton opened fire, wounding two toddlers.
Shooter’s criminal history
Litton’s criminal history dates back to his youth and into the 1990s.
He also had several other convictions for a number of crimes including theft, fraud and forgery in the 1990s and early 2000s, Honea said. The Butte County Sheriff’s Office has not had any contact with Litton since 2003, when he was convicted of forgery and fraud.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Litton has a juvenile record and traffic violations.
As an adult, he had dealings with marijuana cultivation and petty theft, which eventually turned into misdemeanors, Ramsey said. He served his first prison sentence in 1991.
In 2002, Litton stole the identities of several Butte County residents to charge thousands of dollars on credit cards for things like rent, food and entertainment, Ramsey said.
When he was arrested in 2002, Litton was found at a local wig shop, where he allegedly purchased a disguise, Ramsey said. Officers searched his vehicle and found handcuffs and walkie-talkies, Ramsey said.
They searched his home at the time and found a bulletproof vest and parts for a stun gun, Ramsey said. They also searched his computer and discovered that Litton had searched for weapons and explosives. Notes on his computer also indicated that Litton may have planned a mass incident involving explosives, but there was no specific target, Ramsey said.
Honea also confirmed other crimes Litton was suspected of committing this year. In March, Litton allegedly stole money from a CVS in Phoniex, where he had just been hired, Honea said.
On Nov. 12, Honea said Chico police received a report that a U-Haul truck had been reported stolen. Litton was subsequently identified as a suspect and was later arrested in South San Francisco in the stolen pickup truck.
Honea said Litton had a forged driver’s license under the name Michael Sanders. He was later booked into the San Mateo Jail before being transferred to the San Bernadino County Jail on an outstanding burglary warrant. Honea said Litton pleaded not guilty in San Bernardino and was released from prison on Nov. 21.
A relative picked Litton up and took him to Sacramento. From there, Honea said Litton took a bus to the Chico area, where he stayed at several motels in the area.
Events leading up to Wednesday’s school shooting
Honea said Litton was at a Motel 6 in Chico early Wednesday morning. He then boarded a bus and arrived in Oroville around 8:30 a.m. with a large duffel bag.
About 10:45 a.m., Litton went into a Raley’s in Oroville and purchased an energy drink.
About an hour later, Honea said Litton requested an Uber under an assumed name. The Uber driver arrived just a few minutes before noon and dropped him off at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists around 12:10 p.m.
A few days earlier, Litton called the school to make an appointment to discuss his grandson’s enrollment, Honea said.
Litton used a false identity that matched a fake driver’s license used to arrest him in San Francisco and met with the school principal. Honea said Litton also scheduled a tour of Red Bluff Seventh-Day Adventist School on Thursday under the same false identity.
While at school Wednesday, Litton allegedly tried to enroll a grandson who did not exist, Honea said.
Honea said the story turned out to be fake because it seemed like a way to get onto campus.
After meeting with the principal, Litton walked out as if he were leaving campus. But Honea said he turned around and walked back to the playground, where students were returning to class after lunch.
In photos just before the shooting, security cameras captured Litton placing his hand in his waistband, where Honea believes Litton placed a gun.
After that moment, Honea said Litton pulled out the gun and started shooting, wounding two children.
The principal reported hearing the gunshots and later found the two injured children where they began rendering aid.
Litton then shot himself. A California Highway Patrol officer was the first to locate Litton. The officer also found a gun next to him.
Honea said Thursday that the gun appears to be a ghost gun.
Was there a motive for the attack?
Honea said investigators believe Wednesday’s shooting was an isolated attack based on Litton’s beliefs.
Litton referred to an “International Alliance” in a written statement obtained by authorities, Honea said.
Honea said the sheriff’s office, working with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, says it has not found any active organization by that name at this time.
In the statement, Litton referred to himself as a “lieutenant” in the organization.
Honea said Litton “had some significant mental health issues and it appears he took information from a variety of sources and it all came together in his mind to form a reality that may be false.”
Honea did not specify where authorities obtained Litton’s alleged statement, which he showed in a slideshow during Thursday’s news conference. The statement reads:
“Countermeasures regarding child executions have now been imposed by the International Alliance on the Seventh-day Adventist School in California, United States. I, Lieutenant Glenn Litton of the Alliance, implemented countermeasures as a necessary response to U.S. involvement in genocide and oppression of Palestinians, along with attacks on Yemen.”
Latest condition of students
The students shot were identified as 6-year-old Roman Mendez and 5-year-old Elias Wolford. They remained in critical condition as of Thursday evening, Honea said.
