Shooter at Abundant Life school in Madison identified as 15-year-old female student
Sophie Carson, Laura Schulte, David Clarey, Kelly Meyerhofer and Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The horror of a school shooting struck the Madison area for the second time in seven months on Monday, when police say a teenager shot eight people before taking her own life at a private Christian school.
In total, a student and teacher were killed and six people were injured. Two of them are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, and four suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
Barnes identified the suspected teen shooter Monday night as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who went by Samantha, and was a student at the school. She was found with an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound and died while in transport to a hospital, the chief added.
The shooting took place inside a study hall filled with students from different grades and a second grader was the first person to call 911 and report the shooting, Barnes said. "Gonna let that soak in for a minute," he added.
Similar shock and grief reverberated across Wisconsin as news of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School spread Monday. As police methodically cleared the K-12 school, which sits on a 28-acre campus with a preschool and a church, city buses took students to a clinic down the road serving as a reunification point. Some children peered out the bus windows, waving to news crews gathered near the school. Others appeared somber.
As they arrived at the clinic, parents ran inside to meet their children. Some were seen carrying out infant car seats. One child left the clinic with his parents wearing a Santa hat, a reminder that the shooting rocked a school community preparing for Christmas. Most parents declined to speak publicly.
"This hits you in the gut," Dane County Executive Melissa Agard said. "Every one of us is affected by this unimaginable and unacceptable violence."
At 10:57 a.m., dispatchers received a call of an active shooter at the school at 4901 E. Buckeye Road. By 11 a.m., officers arrived at the school, Barnes said. Authorities found Rupnow dead and also recovered a handgun, Barnes said.
Rupnow appears to have been in school before the shooting began and did not "breach" the school's locked entryway, Barnes said.
Barnes also did not provide the ages and genders of the injured victims. He said they included one teacher and five students. Two injured individuals had been released from the hospital, Barnes said Monday evening.
"My heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison," Barnes said. "We have to come together as a community and figure out what happened here, and make sure that it doesn't happen in any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community."
He said he didn't know why the teen opened fire but that police were searching her home.
"If we did know why, we could stop these things from happening," Barnes said.
Police officers did not fire their guns during the incident, Barnes said.
Abundant Life did not have a school resource officer or metal detectors. Cameras in the building are monitored, doors remain locked and every student is "visually scanned" by staff as they arrive at school, said Barbara Wiers, director for elementary and school relations for Abundant Life.
Of the eight people who were shot, four people were transported to SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital, and three were transported to University of Wisconsin hospitals, according to Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon. One of those victims died on the way to the hospital and one of the gunshot victims was pronounced dead at the scene, Barnes said.
Roads were blocked off along 4900 Buckeye Road. Police asked people to avoid the area.
Police are searching the home of the suspected shooter, Barnes said, and the parents are cooperating and agreed to let authorities search the home.
President Joe Biden said the shooting was “shocking” and “unconscionable” and called for congressional action.
“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention – it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence,” he said in a statement. “We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.”
He called on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Sophie Carson, Laura Schulte, David Clarey, Kelly Meyerhofer and Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The horror of a school shooting struck the Madison area for the second time in seven months on Monday, when police say a teenager shot eight people before taking her own life at a private Christian school.
In total, a student and teacher were killed and six people were injured. Two of them are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, and four suffered injuries that weren't life-threatening, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
Barnes identified the suspected teen shooter Monday night as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who went by Samantha, and was a student at the school. She was found with an apparent self-inflected gunshot wound and died while in transport to a hospital, the chief added.
The shooting took place inside a study hall filled with students from different grades and a second grader was the first person to call 911 and report the shooting, Barnes said. "Gonna let that soak in for a minute," he added.
Similar shock and grief reverberated across Wisconsin as news of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School spread Monday. As police methodically cleared the K-12 school, which sits on a 28-acre campus with a preschool and a church, city buses took students to a clinic down the road serving as a reunification point. Some children peered out the bus windows, waving to news crews gathered near the school. Others appeared somber.
As they arrived at the clinic, parents ran inside to meet their children. Some were seen carrying out infant car seats. One child left the clinic with his parents wearing a Santa hat, a reminder that the shooting rocked a school community preparing for Christmas. Most parents declined to speak publicly.
"This hits you in the gut," Dane County Executive Melissa Agard said. "Every one of us is affected by this unimaginable and unacceptable violence."
At 10:57 a.m., dispatchers received a call of an active shooter at the school at 4901 E. Buckeye Road. By 11 a.m., officers arrived at the school, Barnes said. Authorities found Rupnow dead and also recovered a handgun, Barnes said.
Rupnow appears to have been in school before the shooting began and did not "breach" the school's locked entryway, Barnes said.
Barnes also did not provide the ages and genders of the injured victims. He said they included one teacher and five students. Two injured individuals had been released from the hospital, Barnes said Monday evening.
"My heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison," Barnes said. "We have to come together as a community and figure out what happened here, and make sure that it doesn't happen in any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community."
He said he didn't know why the teen opened fire but that police were searching her home.
"If we did know why, we could stop these things from happening," Barnes said.
Police officers did not fire their guns during the incident, Barnes said.
Abundant Life did not have a school resource officer or metal detectors. Cameras in the building are monitored, doors remain locked and every student is "visually scanned" by staff as they arrive at school, said Barbara Wiers, director for elementary and school relations for Abundant Life.
Of the eight people who were shot, four people were transported to SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital, and three were transported to University of Wisconsin hospitals, according to Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon. One of those victims died on the way to the hospital and one of the gunshot victims was pronounced dead at the scene, Barnes said.
Roads were blocked off along 4900 Buckeye Road. Police asked people to avoid the area.
Police are searching the home of the suspected shooter, Barnes said, and the parents are cooperating and agreed to let authorities search the home.
President Joe Biden said the shooting was “shocking” and “unconscionable” and called for congressional action.
“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention – it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence,” he said in a statement. “We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.”
He called on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
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Summary
15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, identified as school shooter at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.\
Eight people were affected: one student and teacher killed, six injured (two critical).\
Shooting took place in a study hall filled with students.\
Police methodically cleared the K-12
Eight people were affected: one student and teacher killed, six injured (two critical).\
Shooting took place in a study hall filled with students.\
Police methodically cleared the K-12