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(NewsNation) — A 15-year-old student opened fire in a Madison, Wisconsin, Christian school classroom Monday, killing two people and injuring six others before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Authorities identified the shooter as Natalie Rupnow, who went by the name Samantha. Rupnow was pronounced dead in transport to a hospital, while one teacher and one teenager were declared dead at the scene.
Two students remain in critical condition, and several others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
The shooting occurred in a mixed-grade study hall classroom at Abundant Life Christian School. Police said a second-grader called 911 at 10:57 a.m., and officers arrived within minutes.
Detectives have spoken with Rupnow’s family and searched their home. A document about the shooting circulating on social media has not been verified, authorities said.
“The person who posted [the document] is alleged to have a connection with the victim. We have not located him yet,” Barnes said.
The school remains closed and under police monitoring.
When officers responded, they found multiple people dead, including a juvenile they believed was the shooter.
Authorities are still working to determine a motive and investigating whether there were warning signs.
Barnes identified the weapon police found as a handgun. He said the gunfire was confined to one space.
“We believe that the shooter was at school at the beginning of the day. We don’t believe there was a breach,” Barnes said.
Parents have been reunited with students, though staff and teachers are still being reunited with their families.
Barnes said police are speaking with Rupnow’s father to determine how much he might have known about the incident.
“He lost someone, as well. And so we’re not going to rush the information, we’ll take our time and certainly do our due diligence,” Barnes said.
Barnes said police currently have “no reason to believe” that Rupnow’s parents have committed a crime.
Police said the next news conference about the shooting would be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday CT.
Barbara Wiers, a school representative, expressed gratitude to the president and governor for their support. The school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures including cameras, she said.
Wiers said students and teachers won’t likely return to the classroom anytime soon because the school “is a crime scene.”
“Whether we will return to classes this week — because this was our last week, we were done on Friday — is still to be determined,” she said.
She said when the school practices safety routines, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen Monday.
Wiers said just before the school year, they had done a retraining with the Madison Police Department, so it was “very fresh for faculty.”
Both the shooter and the student who was killed were teenagers. Due to the way the private school was structured, police said there were no injuries outside that age group.
Barnes said the police training center is three miles from the school, and staff responded from there.
“What began as a training day became an actual day,” he said.
The private nondenominational K-12 school has roughly 420 students on a 28-acre campus with close to 60 staff members.
The official cause and manner of death for the shooter have not been released, and it is not known if they had prior contact with law enforcement.
Police are collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. Police say the shooter’s family is cooperating, and the force is working hard to find answers.
“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” Barnes said. “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.”
Barnes said detectives were “working hard to find as many answers as we can.”
“These children are now the latest group of survivors of a school shooting,” Barnes said. “This time, unfortunately, in Madison, Wisconsin.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden said, “We need Congress to act. Now. 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. We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said it’s “unthinkable” that a child or teacher would go to school and never return home.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Flags to fly at half-staff across state
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers has ordered flags to fly at half-staff across the state following the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.
Mayor urges mental health support for victims, community
Officials encourage anyone who needs mental health support due to the shooting or coverage to reach out to 988 via phone or text to be connected to resources.
Officers trained not to wait in active shooter situtations
Officers are trained to immediately enter the school and stop the threat, which is what police said happened during the shooting.
Police did not fire any shots during the response as the shooter was already dead.
Chief address metal detectors in school
“The question is would you want your child to go to school with or without metal detectors,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. “The idea is to create the safest environment we can without metal detectors.”
Investigators in touch with shooter’s family
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators are in contact with the family of the shooter, who was deceased when police arrived on the scene.
“We do not know that the shooter had any prior contact with law enforcement,” Barnes said.
The cause and manner of death for the shooter will be released at a later time.
Security measures at school unknown
Investigators are working to determine the security measures, including the possibility of metal detectors or surveillance cameras, at the school.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said he has not been inside the school and cannot definitively confirm what security was in place.
Police are interviewing witnesses to shooting
Police said investigators are working to interview witnesses but are not questioning students. Those who were present are being allowed to speak to police as they feel they are able.
Shooting was confined to one area
Police said the shooting was confined to one area, though it is not clear if it was a classroom or hallway.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes confirmed a handgun was used in the shooting.
He said police don’t believe anyone outside the teenage group was injured due to the way the school is organized.
Barnes was not able to speak to the school’s policies regarding an active shooter because it is a private school and not part of the public school system in the city.
The department did not have a police officer placed in the facility as a school resource officer.
911 call set off response
Police were alerted to the situation via a 911 call regarding an active shooter at the school.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes noted that medics were at a training center three miles from the school and responded directly from training.
“I don’t know why. I felt like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he said about the motive for the shooting.
Barnes declined to release any additional information on the shooter at the present time.
“As difficult as this day is, that’s still someone’s child that is gone,” he said.
Fire department dispatched during response
Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon sent five engine companies, four ladder companies and 15 ambulances to the scene.
Four patients were taken to St. Mary’s Hospital and three to University of Wisconsin hospitals.
Carbon said it took only 15 minutes between the first and last transport to get victims on the way to medical centers.
“Our hearts are with you, our arms are around you and we will be with you through the duration of this,” he said.
Police chief: We must work to secure schools
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes spoke about his own background as a teacher before going into police work.
“We owe it to our community to do everything possible to ensure it (school ) is a special place but also a safe place,” he said.
Motive unknown in shooting
Police said the motive for the shooting is not known at this time.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said detectives are working to determine what happened, condemning school shootings in his comments.
“I think we can all agree enough is enough,” Barnes said.
Students and parents are being reunited at the Dean Clinic.
Members of the public are being asked to find other routes home to avoid road closures in the area.
Investigators are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses as they investigate the shooting.
Police: Shooter was teen who attended school
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the shooter was a teenager who attended the Christian school in Madison. Police are not releasing the gender, age or other identifying information at this time.
A teacher and a teenage student were killed during the shooting.
Six other people are injured, two of them students with life-threatening injuries.
Police believe 9 mm weapon used in shooting: Reports
The Associated Press reported a 9 mm pistol is believed to have been used in the shooting, according to a law enforcement official.
UW Health receiving patients from shooting
UW Health announced the facility is receiving patients from the school shooting and setting up an area for victims’ families.
Police are expected to provide more updates in a 2:30 p.m. CT press conference.
Three dead following shooting
Police corrected an earlier statement, saying that three people, including the shooter, are dead following the shooting. Nine people were shot, including the three deceased individuals.
School asks for prayers
The Abundant Life Christian School posted on Facebook asking for prayers following the shooting and said information would be shared when possible.
Medics were in training when shooting happened
Madison police say medics were in training when they got the call to respond to the shooting.
The training center is roughly three miles from the school. First responders rendered what authorities say was “life-saving” aid before victims were transported to area hospitals.
President Biden briefed on shooting
The White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, and senior officials are in touch with local counterparts to provide support as needed.
5 dead, 5 injured after shooting
Following the shooting, five people were injured and five, including the shooter, are dead. The injuries range from minor to life-threatening.
Next briefing to be held in two hours
Police responded at around 10:57 a.m. CT to reports of the shooting. The last time they had trained on an active shooter scenario was two weeks ago.
No police fired their weapons during their response.
“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of traumas don’t go away,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
It is not known if the school had metal detectors, and the shooter is believed to have been a student.
Authorities are continuing to clear the campus and gather evidence and will hold another briefing in two hours.
Police believe threat is over
Authorities are still working to clear the school campus and buildings but say they believe there is no longer a threat to the community.
Madison schools are currently on lockdown.
Juvenile believed to be responsible found dead
Police said a juvenile believed to be responsible for the shooting was found dead in a building at the school.
At least seven people were transported to hospitals with injuries and three were found dead, including the suspected shooter.
Gov. Tony Evers responds to shooting
The governor said on X he is monitoring the situation at the school.
Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson responds
The senator expressed his support for the community on X.
SSM Health suspends operations
SSM Health Dean Medical Group Madison East announced it would be suspending operations and rescheduling appointments due to an incident in the community.
The facility serves as a reunification area for parents and students at the school.
Police to give update on shooting
Police in Madison, Wisconsin, announced they will give an update on the shooting at 12:15 p.m. CT.
Police ask people to avoid the area
Police said the scene at the school remains active and people are advised to stay away from the area with a road closure announced at 4900 Buckeye Road. Community members and drivers are being told to find alternate routes for travel.