Three people were killed, including the shooter, and at least six have been hospitalized after a shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
One teacher and one teenager were killed. Two students are in the hospital in critical condition. Officials identified the shooter Monday night as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, a female student at the school who went by “Samantha.”
Authorities noted that her family was being cooperative with law enforcement in its investigation. The shooter was dead upon police’s arrival, and no officers fired their weapons, which likely indicated a self-inflicted gunshot was the cause of death.
In addition to the two students in critical condition, three others and a teacher were taken to the hospital with less severe injuries, and two of them had been released by Monday evening, police said.
The shooter used a 9mm pistol, according to law enforcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is working with local law enforcement to trace the gun. The motivation is still unknown.
The shooting was reported around 11 a.m. local time, according to police, with a second-grade student alerting authorities.
The school is nondenominational and hosts about 390 students from kindergarten through high school. More than 50 staff members are listed in its directory. In a statement, the Abundant Life Christian School requested prayers.
“Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS. We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able. Please pray for our Challenger Family,” the school posted on Facebook.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the shooting was “confined to one space” in the school building, which he later revealed to be a classroom.
Barnes additionally called this day a “sad, sad day,” not just for the Madison community but for the country.
“Yet another police chief is doing a press conference to speak about violence in our community, specifically in one of the places that’s most sacred to me as someone who loves education and to someone who has children that are in schools,” Barnes said. He is a former public school teacher.
“Our entire community has been impacted by this tragic incident,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said at a press conference, stressing that she encouraged anyone in need of mental health support to contact the 988, the Wisconsin Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
“I am on record that I think we need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence. And I hoped that this day would never come in Madison,” she said. “It is not something that any mayor, any fire chief, any police chief, any person in public office ever wants to have to deal with.”
In a social media post, Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) said he was “closely monitoring the incident at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.” “We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond.”
Evers ordered flags to be flown at half-mast across the state through Sunday, effective immediately.
Both Wisconsin Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) released statements about the shooting.
“I have been briefed on the active shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison and my heart goes out to all those impacted. My office is in touch with local and state officials, and I stand ready to assist law enforcement and anyone affected,” wrote Baldwin, who is from Madison.
“My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School. I will continue to closely monitor the situation,” Johnson wrote.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), whose district encompasses Madison, said on his X account. “Another school shooting. This time in my district. … More inaction by Congress.”
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President Joe Biden has also been briefed on the tragedy, according to the White House.
Two weeks ago, a gunman shot two kindergarten students at a Christian school in California. The gunman similarly died from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
