A 15-year-old female student murdered a teacher and another student during a shooting spree at a Christian school in Wisconsin on Monday morning, causing anguish among the school community.
Natalie Rupnow, also known as Samantha Rupnow, was identified as the young lady who police say murdered two people and wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, starting about 11 a.m.
However, even those who are fortunate enough to escape with their lives “won’t be okay for a long time,” remarked one mother.
An 8-year-old kid who observed the panic and injuring of a teacher told CNN, “I was really scared and sad.”
Rupnow was discovered dead at the site, with signs of self-inflicted gunshot wounds, officials said. An official cause of death has not been determined, and authorities have not established a motive.
In an interview with local radio WISC, one mother of three Abundant Life kids recounted how the tragedy has left the children, parents, and staff in shock.
“Thank God, they were safe,” said Mireille Jean-Charles, who reunited with her three boys when the lockdown ended.
“But the trauma is severe, since I am sure they lost friends and instructors, which is not acceptable. And I don’t believe they’ll be OK for a long time,” she said.
By Monday evening, two patients remained in serious condition, while two others with non-life-threatening injuries were discharged from the hospital.
At an early afternoon news conference on Monday, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes described the killings as a “sad, sad day” for the community.
“I’m asking everyone to send your heartfelt wishes and prayers, and thoughts, yet again, to a community — but this time it’s my community,” according to the reporter.
A firearm was found at the site of the incident.
According to Barnes, a second-grader was the first to notify authorities to the scene.
“Let that sink in for a moment, a second-grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report a shooting at school,” he stated during a news conference.
Police do not know whether the shooter had a particular target or motivation.
“Whether they were targeted or not would speak to motivation and we don’t know that answer just yet,” Barnes said to reporters. Barnes also said that the contents of a paper circulating online ostensibly connected to the shooter had not been validated.
Rupnow’s family is collaborating with the authorities, Madison officials confirmed Monday night.
The 15-year-old’s father was speaking with police Monday evening, according to Barnes, in a “long conversation.”
“We have no reason to believe they have committed a crime at this time,” Barnes said on Monday of the family.
Following the incident, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said that “the focus now is on supporting the victims and their families.” Dane County Executive Melissa Agard described today’s violence as “unacceptable.”
The gunman seemed to be at the school the morning of the incident, rather than breaking in and firing fire.
“We believe the shooter was at school,” Barnes said. “We have no information that there was some kind of breach at the school.”
The school had no school resource officer or metal detectors.
Madison police asked the public to avoid widespread, unsubstantiated internet rumors that the gunman was transgender.
“I dont think that whatever happened today has anything to do with how she, or he, or they may have wanted to identify,” said Chief Barnes. “I hope people would keep their own personal prejudices out of this. We have folks reporting yet another school shooting in Madison. That is where I will concentrate in the near future.”
The school, located on Madison’s east side and serving approximately 400 students, was founded in 1978 as a “community Christian school with the vision of providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment for families in the greater Dane County area,” according to the school’s website.
The incident occurred in a city that has previously seen widespread gun violence this year, with a dozen people injured during the summer in a shooting at a Madison rooftop party.
