A shooting occurred on Monday, December 16, at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, leaving two people dead and six others injured.
The shooter, identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, opened fire with a handgun during a study hall session.
According to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes, the shooting resulted in the deaths of a teacher and a teenage student. Six others, including two students in critical condition, were wounded in the attack. A teacher and three students with less severe injuries were taken to the hospital, with two of them being released by Monday evening.
Barnes expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and emphasized the traumatic impact of the event on the entire school community. “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,” he said.
Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, praised the students’ response to the emergency, stating that they “handled themselves magnificently.” Wiers explained that the school had practiced safety routines earlier in the year, but this time, there was no announcement that it was a drill. “When they heard, ‘Lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.
Police officers arrived at the scene within three minutes of the initial 911 call, which was made by a second-grader.
The shooter, Natalie Rupnow, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound and later died en route to the hospital. Barnes declined to provide additional details about the shooter, citing respect for the family.
The motive behind the shooting remains unknown, and it is unclear whether the victims were targeted. Barnes stated that investigators are still gathering information and searching for answers. “I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he said.
Abundant Life Christian School, a nondenominational Christian school with approximately 420 students, does not have metal detectors but employs other security measures, including cameras. Children and families were reunited at a nearby health clinic after the incident.
