A teacher and a teenage student were killed in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday (17), in an attack that also left at least seven others injured.
Authorities in Madison said that two students are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while three other students and a teacher suffered injuries that are not life-threatening. Two other students have already been released.
The shooting has left the Madison community in shock and searching for answers. In a statement, Governor Tony Evers said he was praying for the families of loved ones whose lives were “so senselessly taken” and called the shooting a “heartbreaking tragedy.”
“As a parent, grandparent, and governor, it is unimaginable that a child or educator could wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a lost reality or stop working to change it,” he wrote.
For now, there are more questions than answers about what led to Monday’s events. Here’s what is known so far.
When did it happen and how did the police respond?
The Madison police chief, Shon Barnes, told reporters that at 10:57 a.m. local time, a second-grade student at the private school called 911 to report that a shooting was underway.
The police arrived on the scene within three minutes, Barnes said. Some officers, he noted, were in training that same morning just a few miles away.
What is known about the victims?
The police believe the shooting occurred inside a study room with students from various grades gathered. However, beyond the number of victims, authorities have not yet released the names, ages, or other identifying details about those who were killed or injured.
Who is the suspect?
The police identified Natalie Rupnow, 15, as the alleged shooter. Rupnow, who went by Samantha, was a student at the school. Authorities said she apparently died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The police say they are still working to determine a motive. A firearm was recovered at the scene, and authorities said they were working with federal officials to trace the origin of the weapon. As of Monday, it was unclear how the shooter obtained the gun.
Women are rare in school shootings. Since the 1999 murders at Columbine High School in Colorado, only eight other accused — or 4% — were women, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.
Reaction
Barbara Wiers, director of school relations and elementary education at Abundant Life, said the school has no firearms on campus and that students are not even allowed to shoot toy guns on the playground.
The school has cameras, and students are “visually scanned” as they enter the building, Wiers said. The school does not have metal detectors or a security guard, she said.
A community vigil was held outside Madison on Monday night for the victims and survivors of the shooting.
Across the state, flags were ordered to half-staff by the governor. And in a statement from the White House, President Biden called the shooting “shocking and inconceivable.”
“From Newtown to Uvalde, from Parkland to Madison, and so many other shootings that don’t receive attention — it is unacceptable that we cannot protect our children from this scourge of gun violence,” Biden said. “We cannot continue to accept this as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom. Students across our country should be learning to read and write — not having to learn to duck and cover.”
Source: NPR