At least two people were killed and six others injured in a shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, police said.
The shooter, a 15-year-old female student, died on the way to a hospital of what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said during a news conference on Monday night. Police identified the shooter as Natalie Rupnow, who police say went by the name Samantha.
The shooter opened fire in an Abundant Life Christian School classroom during a study hall on Monday morning, killing a teenage student and a teacher, police said. Six others were injured and transported to area hospitals: two students in critical condition and two students and a teacher with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Earlier Monday, police erroneously reported five people had died in the shooting.
Police corrected another misstatement on Tuesday, stating during a press briefing that a second-grade teacher made the first 911 call — not a second-grader, as police initially said.
Abundant Life Christian School is a private K-12 school located about five miles east of the Wisconsin State Capitol. Police have asked people to avoid the area. There are no threats to the community or other area schools at this time, Barnes said.
Barnes on Tuesday declined to confirm a motive but said it appeared to be “a combination of factors.” He said police are investigating the shooter’s online activity and encouraged anyone who “knew what she was feeling or going through” to contact law enforcement. Her family is cooperating with investigators, he said.
Barnes said police are aware of “a document” being circulated online but are unable to verify its authenticity at this time, appearing to refer to writings allegedly shared by the shooter.
A handgun was recovered at the scene, officials said. Police did not fire their weapons when responding to the shooting, Barnes said.
“To be honest, I’m feeling a little dismayed,” the police chief told reporters on Monday when asked how he’s feeling. “So close to Christmas. Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don’t just go away. … My heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison.”
Barnes said he is not aware of any metal detectors at the school. He noted that because the school is private, it does not fall under the authority of the Madison Metropolitan School District. In a statement on Monday afternoon, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said, “There are no words to describe the devastation and heartbreak we feel today after the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison this morning.” “As a father, a grandfather, and as governor, it is unthinkable that a kid or an educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home,” he said. “This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it.” There have been 323 school shootings in 2024, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, which defines a school shooting as any time “a gun is fired, brandished (pointed at a person with intent), or bullet hits school property, regardless of the number of victims, time, day, or reason.” Girls are much less likely to be suspects. As The New York Times reported, citing this year’s data from the same database, “nine shooting suspects were female compared to 249 who were male when gender was identified.” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Hayley Miller is the senior breaking news and blogs editor for MS NOW.
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