Photos by Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow (Image credit: X/NYP)

The first photos of Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, the 15-year-old shooting suspect Christian School for Abundant Life in Madison, Wisconsin, have surfaced online following the incident. The shooting left two people dead, including a teacher and a student, and six others injured. Rupnow He reportedly died of one self-inflicted gunshot wound after the incident.
In one of the photos from her father’s Facebook page, Rupnow, a K-12 student, is seen at a shooting range. She is wearing a black T-shirt from the German band KMFDM, founded in 1984.

In another photo, Rupnow, wearing a black KMFDM t-shirt, poses for a mirror selfie.

The band name “Kein Majority Für Die Mitleid” is known for its aggressive mix of heavy metal, punk and electronic music.
KMFDM became controversially linked to school shootings after the Columbine massacre in 1999. One of the shooters, Eric Harris, praised the band in his personal writings, calling their “anti-American” and “anti-authoritarian” messages influential. Although KMFDM has repeatedly condemned violence and distanced itself from such tragedies, their music and images continue to be at the center of discussions about school shootings.
Another photo shows Rupnow smiling and posing with two dogs.

School shooting in Wisconsin
A shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin on Monday left three people dead, including the suspected shooter, and six others injured. The suspect, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, also known as Samantha, was a student at the school. Rupnow is believed to have opened fire in a classroom at the K-12 school, which serves around 400 students.

The attack occurred around 10:30 a.m. (1700 GMT). Officials said Rupnow arrived at school on time and pulled out a handgun about three hours after school started. A second-grade student, typically about 7 or 8 years old, called 911 to report the shooting, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference. “Let that sink in for a minute,” he said.
Barnes said Rupnow died of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound while being transported to a local hospital. Investigators are working to find out the origin of the weapon. Among the injured, two students are in critical condition while three other students and a teacher were also injured, with two students already discharged from hospital.
“Combination of factors” behind shooting motivation
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said a “combination of factors” may have led to the attack, and investigators are speaking with Rupnow’s classmates “to determine whether bullying was one of those multiple factors.”

Subsequently, a document allegedly written by Rupnow entitled “War Against Humanity” surfaced. This manifesto, along with her social media posts and personal writings, provides insight into her motivations, her state of mind, and the warning signs that were missed before the tragedy.
“We are working to authenticate the document that you see online that some call a manifesto,” Barnes said, as quoted by USA Today, urging the public not to share it until its authenticity is confirmed. He also urged anyone with knowledge of Rupnow’s mental state before the shooting to contact police.
Authorities are also investigating how Rupnow obtained the handgun used in the shooting and are working with the ATF to locate the weapon. Barnes mentioned that they are also investigating the possibility of parental negligence. “We also want to check whether the parents may have acted negligently. And that is a question that we have to answer with our prosecution,” Barnes told CNN. “But at this point that doesn’t appear to be the case.”