Madison, Wisconsin is responding to a school shooting that took place at Abundant Life Christian School, leaving a teacher and a teenage student dead. The suspect, a 15-year-old student named Natalie Rupnow, also died from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. In a statement obtained by KKTV, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes confirmed the toll: three dead and six others injured.
Officers were on the scene within three minutes of the initial reports of the shooting, which took place in a study hall at the private school. Among the injured were two additional students hospitalized in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, and four other victims, including a teacher and three students, as detailed by Chief Barnes in reports to KKTV. Federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also at the scene to assist with the situation.
In a solemn statement, Barnes said, “Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever.” Investigators found the shooter with the self-inflicted injury when officers arrived, and she was pronounced dead during transport to the hospital. An anonymous law enforcement official shared with Fox 8 that a 9mm pistol was believed to have been used in the shooting. Details about the shooter's motives and whether the victims were targeted are still unclear as police investigate.
Amid the aftermath, community support poured in, with families and students being reunited at a local health clinic. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and President Joe Biden expressed their condolences and called for action against gun violence. Evers stated that it's "unthinkable" for students and teachers to face such dangers at school, while Biden, referring to the tragedy, urged Congress to pass stricter gun laws, as reported by Fox 8.
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