Northern California school shooter identified as man with lengthy criminal record, sheriff says
PALERMO – The suspected shooter who wounded two kindergarten students in Northern California on Wednesday was identified as a 56-year-old man with a lengthy criminal and mental health history, authorities said.
Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea on Thursday identified the suspect as Glenn Litton, a homeless man who has moved between the Chico and Sacramento areas. After opening fire at the school, Litton died from 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 scheduled an appointment at Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists a few days prior to talk about enrolling his grandson. Litton then took an Uber to the school for the meeting. After the meeting, Litton opened fire and wounded two kindergarten students.
Gunman's criminal history
Litton's criminal history goes back to his juvenile years 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 charges.
Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Litton has a juvenile record and traffic violations.
As an adult, he had counts of cultivating marijuana and petty theft, which eventually rose to felony violations, 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 in a local wig shop allegedly buying 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, finding that Litton had searched for guns and explosives. Notes on his computer also revealed that Litton may have been planning a mass incident with explosives, but there was no specific target, Ramsey said.
Honea also confirmed other crimes that Litton was suspected of 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 the Chico Police Department received a report that a U-Haul truck was reported stolen. Litton was then identified as a suspect and was later arrested in South San Francisco in the stolen pickup truck.
Honea said Litton had a forged license under the name Michael Sanders. He was later booked into the San Mateo Jail before he was transferred to the San Bernadino County Jail for an outstanding burglary warrant. Honea said Litton pled not guilty in San Bernardino and was released from jail on Nov. 21.
A family member picked Litton up and brought him to Sacramento. From there, Honea said Litton took a bus to the Chico area where he stayed at various 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 got on a bus and arrived in Oroville around 8:30 a.m. with a large duffle bag.
By 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 a fake 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 before, Litton called the school to make an appointment to discuss enrolling his grandson, Honea said.
Litton used a false identity that matched a fake driver's license he was arrested with in San Francisco, and met with the school's principal. Honea said Litton also had a tour scheduled at the Red Bluff Seventh-Day Adventist School for Thursday under the same false identity.
While at the school on Wednesday, Litton allegedly tried to enroll a grandson who did not exist, Honea said.
Honea said the story turned out to be a fake as it appeared to be a way to get on the campus.
After meeting with the principal, Litton walked out as if he was leaving the campus. But Honea said he turned and walked back toward the playground, where the students were heading back to class after a noon break.
In photos moments before the shooting, security cameras captured Litton placing his hand in his waistband where Honea believes Litton placed a handgun.
After that moment, Honea said Litton pulled the gun out and began firing, wounding two children.
The principal reported hearing the gunshots and later found the two injured children where she began rendering aid.
Litton then shot and killed himself. A California Highway Patrol officer was the first to locate Litton. The officer also found a handgun near 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 referenced an "International Alliance" in a written statement that authorities obtained, Honea said.
Honea said that, working in partnership with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, at this moment the sheriff's office says they have not been able to find any active organization with that name.
In the statement, Litton referenced himself as a "lieutenant" in the organization.
Honea said that Litton had "some significant mental health issues and it appears that he pulled information from various sources and it all came together in his mind to form a reality that is perhaps false."
Honea did not specify where authorities obtained the alleged statement from Litton, which he displayed in a slide show during the Thursday news conference. The statement reads:
"Countermeasure involving child executions has now been imposed at the Seventh Day Adventist school in California, United States by The International Alliance. 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."
Students' latest condition
The students shot were identified as 6-year-old Roman Mendez and 5-year-old Elias Wolford. They remain in critical condition as of Thursday evening, Honea said.