Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, is mourning the lives of a teacher and a pupil after a shooter – now named by police as Natalie Rupnow – opened fire
A pupil who opened fire at a private Christian school in the US – killing a teacher and a teenage student – has been named by police.
Officers said Natalie Rupnow – who also went by the name Samantha – also injured four other people in the horror at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday. Two of these people are fighting for their lives, although it is unclear if they are children or adults.
Natalie herself was found dead after emergency services descended on the school, which charges up to $10,000 (£7,800) each year in tuition fees. It was initially thought the shooter was 17 but police confirmed Natalie was just 15. Speaking at the scene, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said: “Today is a sad day not only for Madison, for our entire country. We have to do a better job in our community.”
The officer said police had not identified a motive in the shooting and it is believed Natalie, a pupil at the school, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victims have not yet been identified by authorities, who continue to work on the investigation.
Officers responded to a 911 call of an active shooter at the Christian school, which caters for around 400 youngsters, at around 11:00 local time (17:00 UK time) on Monday. The attacker attended school before the shooting, Chief Barnes said.
The shooting was confined to a study hall with students in mixed grades. Barbara Wiers, director of relations at the school, said the school had conducted active shooter training earlier this year and the information was “very fresh” for educators to put into practice on Monday.
She said while the school does not have a dedicated police officer, known as a school resource officer, the doors of all classrooms automatically lock and anyone wanting to gain entry to the campus must be buzzed in through the primary entrance.
Ms Wiers, who said she was teaching at the time of the attack, said students handled themselves “brilliantly”. She added: “They were clearly scared. When they heard ‘lockdown, lockdown’ and nothing else, they knew it was real.”
Students are not being rushed into interviews, Barnes said. He continued: “We’re going to give them an opportunity to come in and speak to what they may have saw when they feel ready.”
Survivors of the shooting took buses to a reunification centre following the incident, according to NBC News. The FBI is understood to be at the scene and is helping local law enforcement.
President Joe Biden said in a statement that the shooting was “shocking and unconscionable”. He added: “Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover,” said Biden, who also called on Congress to act immediately on legislation that could prevent more gun violence.
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