(NewsNation) — As police in Madison, Wisconsin continue to search for a motive in the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, students at the small private school are struggling to cope with what happened.
Michard Jean-Charles, a freshman at the school, told NewsNation the emotions of processing the shooting come in waves. He said that he did not hear any of the shots that killed two people at the school and injured six others. He said that he was downstairs in the school’s weight room when he looked out of a window and saw several police cars parked outside the school.
“We knew something was going on,” Michard said. “We just protected ourselves.”
Michelet Jean-Charles, who has three children at the school, was at work when he received word that there had been a shooting at a local school. He told NewsNation that he initially heard the shooting took place at a Catholic School. But when he did an online search, he discovered the shooting was at Abundant Life Christian School. He said he heard sirens for about 20 minutes, which made him think “someone important” was in Madison that required a police presence.
But upon learning of the school shooting at his son’s school, he said that he immediately called his wife and went to the school, where other parents were already gathered.
“It’s been one of the scariest times for me in my life,” Michelet Jean-Charles told NewsNation.
Michelet Jean-Charles said he was in tears when he arrived at the school, which is located less than a mile from his workplace.
Michard said that he had known the student who was killed, Rubi Patricia Vergara since they were in kindergarten and that he knew the teacher who was killed, Erin M. West, for nearly four years.
“They’re both great people,” he said.
Michard said that Natalie Rupnow, the shooter who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was in her first year at the school. He said that to him, there was “something slightly off” about the 15-year-old.
“The way she acted, I guess, it wasn’t disturbing, but it was a little weird, I guess,” he told NewsNation. “It’s hard to describe.”
Students will return to school after the new year, marking the first time they will be back inside the building since the shooting. Michard said doing so would be difficult.
“I’m praying that God makes it easier for all of us and that He just brings us peace,” Michard said.
His father agreed.
Michelet Jean-Charles said that he knows the school will take new security measures when students return. He said that every time he or his wife drops their sons off at the school, it will be a reminder of the tragedy. But the family will rely on their faith to allow them to move on.
“We know that God is in control,” Michelet told NewsNation. “He let (the shooting) happen. It happened for a reason. We know that He is sovereign, He is God and we stand on that no matter what happens.”