Natalie Rupnow, 15, identified as Wisconsin school shooter: Latest updates

Natalie Rupnow, 15, identified as Wisconsin school shooter: Latest updates

Four people were killed and a gunman was killed at a Christian school in Wisconsin, police said

A 15-year-old girl, identified by police as Natalie Rupnow, killed a teacher and a classmate after opening fire at a K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin.

Police responded to reports of an active shooter at Abundant Life Christian School just before 11 a.m. Monday morning and entered the building immediately upon arrival.

Rupnow – who called herself “Samantha” – was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene of the suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes said.

Six others were injured, two of whom were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Her motive remains unclear.

A second-grader called 911 to report the shooting, police said Monday. Officers found a handgun at the scene. Rupnow’s family is cooperating with police, the chief said.

Joe Biden, briefed on the school shooting on Monday, said: “It is shocking and incomprehensible. We need Congress to act. Well… Jill and I are praying today for all the victims, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries.”

As Madison reels from the attack, a candlelight vigil is planned for Tuesday evening.

Police did not appear to have had any interactions with the shooter in the past

Madison police do not appear to have interacted with shooter Natalie Rupnow before Monday’s incident, officials said.

“To my knowledge, I’m not aware that we’ve had any issues with her,” Chief Shon Barnes said during a news conference Monday. “If it were, we certainly would have had some sort of intervention, but I’m not aware of that.”

He added that the department’s intelligence analysts will review records to definitively determine whether police had contact with Rupnow in the past.

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 10:30 am

During the investigation, the police throw stun grenades into the house

Neighbors say police set off stun grenades Monday afternoon at a property eight miles from Abundant Life Christian School while the investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

Videos show a north Madison home with its door removed and windows damaged, the home decorated with Christmas lights and cordoned off with police tape, WTMJ reported.

It’s not clear if this is the home of the suspected school shooter.

Residents said they saw police throwing lightning bolts into the property after investigators arrived early Monday afternoon and went in and out of the house until nightfall. The non-lethal explosive devices, also known as stun grenades, are used to disorient or distract enemies in close combat.

“I heard the news this afternoon and thought we’d just drive past the main road and there it was,” a neighbor told the news outlet. “The front door was ripped off and no one was around and investigators are in there cleaning up the mess.”

James LiddellDecember 17, 2024 10:10

Schools will resume classes on Tuesday

Classes for schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District will resume Tuesday, according to WISC-TV.

It follows a suspension of several district schools that were put on hold Monday.

The Madison Metropolitan School District is the second largest school district in Wisconsin, serving over 25,000 students in 52 schools, according to its website.

James LiddellDecember 17, 2024 09:50

Police are expected to release new information about the shooting in Madison on Tuesday afternoon

Police in Madison, Wisconsin, are expected to provide a public update on the investigation into a mass shooting on Monday that left six people injured and three people dead, including the gunman.

The press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. local time.

Important information about the shooting is not yet public, including the names of the victims.

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 09:30

In pictures: Police storm Abundant Life Christian School

Police gather at a reunification center after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison
Police gather at a reunification center after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison (EPA)
The school is still an active crime scene after suspected shooter Natalie Rupnow shot a student, a teacher and then allegedly shot herself
The school is still an active crime scene after suspected shooter Natalie Rupnow shot a student, a teacher and then allegedly shot herself (EPA)

James LiddellDecember 17, 2024 9:10 am

A candlelight vigil will take place on Tuesday evening

A candlelight vigil is planned for Tuesday evening as Madison suffers from the heinous attack on Abundant Life Christian School.

According to WMTV, the mayor and education officials are expected to be in attendance.

Police asked the local community to postpone Monday’s vigils at the school, which remains an active crime scene. Police officers monitored the school overnight.

James LiddellDecember 17, 2024 08:50

When a mass shooting becomes a rumor on social media

In the hours after the Madison shooting, officials repeatedly warned the public to ignore the social media rumor mill that has become increasingly common in the wake of high-profile acts of violence in America.

First, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes reminded the public of some basic media literacy and urged them to obtain information about the shooting only from trusted government and media sources because online speculation about the incident was widespread.

“Social media is, quite frankly, something I can’t control,” he said at a news conference.

“If you’re listening to this and you’re at home or thinking about republishing something that doesn’t come from someone in this room, a trusted and respected journalist, please don’t do that,” he added. “It contributes to undermining trust in this process, and that’s all we have.”

Barnes said such rumors could “fuel the fire” at a time when “we need to come together and not let anything divide us.”

Later, when online commentators, particularly on the right, offered unconfirmed speculation that the shooter was transgender, Barnes made a more pointed comment.

“I don’t think what happened today had anything to do with how she, he or they wanted to identify,” Barnes said. “I wish people would leave their personal biases aside. We have people doing another school shooting in Madison. That’s what I’m going to focus on in the near future.”

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 08:30

Get the scoop: The latest details on the Madison shooting

Here’s what you need to know:

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 07:30

Mother angry after Madison shooting: ‘When will they be safe?’

Parents are in fear after a mass shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.

“I don’t know what to say because we always send prayers. We always send thoughts. When will we stop this? This is not okay,” said Mireille Jean-Charles The Washington Post on Monday after reuniting with her three sons, who are students at Abundant Life Christian School. “When your children are at school, they are not doing well. When they’re in church, they don’t feel well. When they’re outside or somewhere else, they don’t feel well. Where will they be safe?”

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 06:30

The White House speaks with Wisconsin officials after the Madison shooting

The White House has been closely following the shooting in Madison.

After the shooting, which officials said left three people dead, including the shooter, President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

Josh MarcusDecember 17, 2024 05:30

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