A student opened fire at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a teacher and a teenage student while injuring six others, police said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes identified the attacker as a 15-year-old female student at Abundant Life Christian School, who was found dead at the scene.
The incident occurred in a study hall on Monday, with a second-grade student being the first to call 911.
“Today is a sad day, not just for Madison but for our entire country,” Barnes stated, adding that the community must do better to prevent such tragedies.
Authorities said the attacker, identified as Natalie Rupnow, also known as Samantha, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Dane County Medical Examiner is set to confirm the official cause of death following an autopsy.
Barnes noted that the motive remains unclear, and while a manifesto was reportedly found, its authenticity has not yet been verified.
“To our knowledge, police had no prior interactions with the alleged shooter,” he said. It is also uncertain how the shooter obtained the firearm used in the attack.
The school, which enrolls around 400 students from kindergarten to high school, had implemented active shooter training earlier this year.
Barbara Wiers, the school’s director of relations, said the training was “very fresh” in educators’ minds and proved critical during the crisis.
“When they heard ‘lockdown, lockdown,’ the students knew it was real. They were scared but handled themselves brilliantly,” she said.
Wiers added that while the school lacks a dedicated resource officer, classroom doors lock automatically, and visitors must be buzzed in through the primary entrance.
Police found a handgun at the scene but did not discharge their weapons. Among the six injured students, two remain in critical condition, while the other four were hospitalized, with two later released.
Authorities have urged witnesses to come forward but stressed they would not rush or interrogate students. “Every child and person in that building is a victim and will remain one forever,” Barnes said.
The tragedy has left the Madison community reeling. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers expressed his condolences and ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff.
President Joe Biden called the shooting “shocking and unconscionable,” adding, “Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not how to duck and cover.”
He urged Congress to pass legislation to prevent gun violence.
Shootings remain prevalent in the U.S., with schools often targeted. The K-12 Violence Project has documented over 300 incidents involving firearms on school property in 2024.
EducationWeek reports 38 school shootings this year have resulted in 69 victims, including 16 fatalities, before Monday’s incident.
Mass shootings by female attackers are exceedingly rare, with school shootings by women being even less common.
David Riedman, founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, noted in a blog post that while the majority of school shooters are males in their teens or early 20s, at least four planned shootings by females have occurred since 1979.
The school remains closed as investigations continue. “This has been a rough day for our city,” Barnes said. “It will be etched in the collective memories of Madison forever.”
Meanwhile, the school wrote on Facebook, “Please pray for our Challenger Family,” garnering nationwide messages of support.
Source-BBC
