A 15-year-old student killed a teacher and another teenager with a handgun Monday at a Christian school in Wisconsin, terrifying classmates, including a second grader who made the 911 call that sent dozens of police officers rushing to the small school just a week before its Christmas break.The student, who was identified at a press conference Monday night, also wounded six others at a study hall at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. A teacher and three students had been taken to a hospital with less serious injuries, and two of them had been released by Monday evening.“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. … We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said. Police identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow but said Rupnow went by the name Samantha.The police chief said the shooter was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when officers arrived. The shooter died en route to a hospital, the chief said. Barnes said a medical examiner will officially determine the cause and manner of death. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.What we know so far:Two people, a teacher and a teenage student, were killed in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.Police have identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow but said Rupnow “went by the name Samantha.”The suspected shooter, who was a student at the school, was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police Chief Shon Barnes said.Six other people were injured; two students were in critical condition, and four students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.The shooting occurred in a study hall and was reported to police by a 2nd-grader.Officials have not released the identities of the teacher and student who were killed. The chief also warned people against sharing unconfirmed reports on social media about the shooter’s identity.“What that does is it helps erode the trust in this process,” he said.Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, said students “handled themselves magnificently.”She said when the school practices safety routines, which it had done just before the school year, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen Monday.“When they heard, ‘Lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school — prekindergarten through high school — with approximately 420 students in Madison, the state capital.Wiers said the school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures, including cameras.Children and families were reunited at a medical building about a mile away. Parents pressed children against their chests while others squeezed hands and shoulders as they walked side by side. One girl was comforted with an adult-size coat around her shoulders as she moved to a parking lot teeming with police vehicles.Video below: 8-year-old describes school shooting sceneA motive for the shooting was not immediately known, nor was it clear if the victims were targeted, Barnes said.“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.Barnes said police were talking with the shooter’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching the shooter’s home.“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of the shooter’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter shortly before 11 a.m. First responders who were in training just 3 miles away dashed to the school for an actual emergency, Barnes said. They arrived 3 minutes after the initial call and went into the building immediately. Video below: Police investigate home connected to school shooting suspectClasses had been taking place when the shooting happened, Barnes said. He declined to say where exactly in the school it happened.Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told the AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.Police blocked off roads around the school, and federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement. No shots were fired by police.Abundant Life asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.Wiers said the school’s goal is to have staff get together early in the week and have community opportunities for students to reconnect before the winter break, but it’s still to be decided whether they will resume classes this week.Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school and learned over FaceTime that her daughter was OK.“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters,” Highman said. “There’s nobody around you. You just bolt for the door and try to do everything you can as a parent to be with your kids.”In a statement, President Joe Biden cited the tragedy in calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and certain gun restrictions.“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said. He spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and offered his support.Evers said it’s “unthinkable” that a child or teacher would go to school and never return home.The school shooting was the latest among dozens across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms. But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.Related video below: Helping kids understand, cope with school shooting traumaFirearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.Rhodes-Conway said the country needs to do more to prevent gun violence.“I hoped that this day would never come to Madison,” she said. ___Associated Press writers Scott Bauer, Alanna Durkin Richer, Ed White and Josh Funk and photographer Morry Gash contributed to this report.
A 15-year-old student killed a teacher and another teenager with a handgun Monday at a Christian school in Wisconsin, terrifying classmates, including a second grader who made the 911 call that sent dozens of police officers rushing to the small school just a week before its Christmas break.
The student, who was identified at a press conference Monday night, also wounded six others at a study hall at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. A teacher and three students had been taken to a hospital with less serious injuries, and two of them had been released by Monday evening.
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“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. … We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said.
Police identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow but said Rupnow went by the name Samantha.
The police chief said the shooter was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when officers arrived. The shooter died en route to a hospital, the chief said. Barnes said a medical examiner will officially determine the cause and manner of death. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.
What we know so far:
- Two people, a teacher and a teenage student, were killed in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
- Police have identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow but said Rupnow “went by the name Samantha.”
- The suspected shooter, who was a student at the school, was pronounced dead while en route to the hospital from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police Chief Shon Barnes said.
- Six other people were injured; two students were in critical condition, and four students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
- The shooting occurred in a study hall and was reported to police by a 2nd-grader.
- Officials have not released the identities of the teacher and student who were killed.
The chief also warned people against sharing unconfirmed reports on social media about the shooter’s identity.
“What that does is it helps erode the trust in this process,” he said.
Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, said students “handled themselves magnificently.”
She said when the school practices safety routines, which it had done just before the school year, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen Monday.
“When they heard, ‘Lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school — prekindergarten through high school — with approximately 420 students in Madison, the state capital.
Wiers said the school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures, including cameras.
Children and families were reunited at a medical building about a mile away. Parents pressed children against their chests while others squeezed hands and shoulders as they walked side by side. One girl was comforted with an adult-size coat around her shoulders as she moved to a parking lot teeming with police vehicles.
Video below: 8-year-old describes school shooting scene
A motive for the shooting was not immediately known, nor was it clear if the victims were targeted, Barnes said.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.
Barnes said police were talking with the shooter’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching the shooter’s home.
“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of the shooter’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter shortly before 11 a.m. First responders who were in training just 3 miles away dashed to the school for an actual emergency, Barnes said. They arrived 3 minutes after the initial call and went into the building immediately.
Video below: Police investigate home connected to school shooting suspect
Classes had been taking place when the shooting happened, Barnes said. He declined to say where exactly in the school it happened.
Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told the AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Police blocked off roads around the school, and federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement. No shots were fired by police.
Abundant Life asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.
Wiers said the school’s goal is to have staff get together early in the week and have community opportunities for students to reconnect before the winter break, but it’s still to be decided whether they will resume classes this week.
Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school and learned over FaceTime that her daughter was OK.
“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters,” Highman said. “There’s nobody around you. You just bolt for the door and try to do everything you can as a parent to be with your kids.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden cited the tragedy in calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and certain gun restrictions.
“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said. He spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and offered his support.
Evers said it’s “unthinkable” that a child or teacher would go to school and never return home.
The school shooting was the latest among dozens across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.
The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms. But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.
Related video below: Helping kids understand, cope with school shooting trauma
Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.
Rhodes-Conway said the country needs to do more to prevent gun violence.
“I hoped that this day would never come to Madison,” she said.
___
Associated Press writers Scott Bauer, Alanna Durkin Richer, Ed White and Josh Funk and photographer Morry Gash contributed to this report.
