(CNN) — Two kindergarten students remain in critical but stable condition after they were wounded in a shooting at a small Christian school north of Sacramento, authorities said on Thursday.

The boys, aged 5 and 6, are being treated at a local hospital, according to the latest update from the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.

The attack is another example of the scourge of gun violence on American campuses, with at least 78 school shootings recorded so far this year in the United States. This latest school shooting in Northern California highlights how guns are the leading cause of death for children in the US.

As students huddled in the Feather River Adventist School school gym in Oroville, just feet away from the shooter standing outside, one student said she tried to keep the others calm by sharing words of encouragement.

“I told the kindergartners to take deep breaths and just think of something happy,” sixth grader Jocelyn Orlando told CNN affiliate KOVR.

“I told the little graders to close their eyes and cover their ears because he was pacing back and forth from the window,” Orlando said.

Police found the suspect dead at the scene from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Sheriff Kory Honea said at an evening news conference, hours after the gunman opened fire at the Feather River Adventist School in Oroville.

The man has been identified but could not be immediately named due to an ongoing, FBI-assisted investigation, he added.

Authorities had received information leading them to believe the suspect had targeted the school because of its affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Honea said.

The Seventh-day Adventist faith is part of the Protestant Christian denomination whose followers believe the Bible is the infallible word of God and believe in the second coming of Christ. Followers worship on Saturdays and promote a healthy lifestyle.

According to recent data, there are approximately 1.2 million Seventh-day Adventist members in the United States and Canada combined, and nearly 22 million followers worldwide.

There are more than 7,500 Seventh-day Adventist schools worldwide enrolling more than 1.8 million students.

What led up to the shooting

Earlier in the day, the suspect was dropped off by an Uber at the school where he had attended a meeting with a school administrator on campus, ostensibly to explore the possibility of enrolling a family member, the sheriff said.

The meeting was described as “cordial” according to the sheriff.

No concerns were raised at the time and authorities were working to establish whether the meeting was a ruse for the suspect to enter the campus.

The Uber driver was identified and interviewed by investigators to determine what the shooter said during the ride, Honea said.

Jocelyn’s father expressed his concerns about the shooting and the safety of his children attending a private school saying, “the presumption is that it’s the safest place a parent can send their child.”

Feather River Adventist School is a private school that serves kindergarten through eighth grade. The school has an enrollment of about 35 students, according to the sheriff.

Law enforcement agencies across the state were urged to “be vigilant” and ensure schools associated with the church are safe, Honea added.

Investigators were looking into the “entire workup of the subject to get a better understanding of his motivation, ideology.”

“Whether or not this is a hate crime or whether or not it’s part of some sort of larger scheme at this point, I don’t have enough information to provide an answer to that,” Honea said.

The sheriff noted that investigators found no connection between the victims and the shooter and the shooter had no prior connection to the school.

“I’m thankful that they are still alive, but they have a long road ahead of them,” Honea said.

Quick response

Calls from the Feather River Adventist School about an active shooter were received by authorities just after 1:08 p.m. on Wednesday, Honea said.

Within two minutes, a state highway patrol officer had arrived at the school, where a handgun was found near the body of the suspected shooter, he said.

Several minutes later, sheriff’s deputies arrived on campus and officers provided first aid to the two wounded students, Honea added.

Once the scene was secured, the remaining students were taken by bus to a nearby church to be reunited with their parents, the sheriff said.

Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey told the news conference his office was assisting the students and their families.

A parent of one of the students said, “That will be going on now for weeks, obviously months,” he said. “Not only the children that were previously injured, but those children that saw their classmates gunned down in front of them.”

In a statement, a communications director with the Northern California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists said they were “deeply saddened” by the incident.

“Join us as we lift up these children and their families in prayer,” the statement said. “We are grateful for the brave officers of the Butte County Sheriff’s Department who acted quickly to protect our students.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the shooting “Heartbreaking,” in a post on X.

“Once again, a community is shattered by senseless gun violence. Our hearts are with the children, their families, and everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy. To the survivors of gun violence: You are never alone. California stands with you,” the governor said.

The co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise, Nicole Hockley, said, “An attack such as this goes against everything we stand for as a nation,” in a statement issued following the shooting. Hockley’s six-year-old son Dylan was killed in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

“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,” said Hockley.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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