More details are emerging after police say a 15-year-old female student opened fire at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin Monday, in a shooting that left several wounded and three people dead, including the suspected teenage shooter.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes Monday identified the person responsible for the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School as Natalie Rupnow, who went by Samantha. Evidence suggested the teen died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, although the official cause of death had yet to be released by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office late Monday.
Detectives talked with family members of the shooter Monday evening and searched the shooter’s home in Madison as they worked to determine a motive, Barnes said.
Barnes said they were speaking with the shooter’s father at one of their facilities and that he’s cooperating.
“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.
Law enforcement arrived at the school -- which serves kindergarteners through high schoolers -- around 11 a.m., Monday, approximately four minutes after a second-grade student called 911 to report a shooting.
“Let that sink in,” Barnes repeated twice at a news briefing. Barnes added that the shooting occurred in a study hall with students in various grades.
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By 11:05 a.m., officers alerted school staff the shooter was down, and a gun had been recovered.
Police are expected to provide another update on the shooting at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
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What we know about the victims and the motive
According to Barnes, at least three people were killed in the shooting, including the suspected teen shooter. A teacher and another teenage student were also killed, police said.
Six others -- five students and a teacher -- were injured, Barnes said. Of those, two students were last listed in critical condition, police said. The others were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities were still working to determine a motive late Monday after completing a search of the suspect's home and interviewing family members. The suspect's relatives were cooperating with police, Barnes said.
"Many of you have asked me about the why of this," Barnes said. "Why did this happen? What do we know? What was the motivation? I do not know, but I will tell you this, our detectives are working hard in the investigative process to find out as many answers as we can so that we can further prevent these things from happening, not only in this community, but in other communities around our country."
Madison, Wisconsin, first responders were undergoing training when a school shooting happened
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, speaking at a news conference, offered condolences to victims and their families, who support will be provided to in the days ahead.
"This is an incredibly sad day for our community," the mayor said. "As you've heard, there is no danger to our community at this time, but our entire community has been impacted by this tragic incident."
Rhodes-Conway urged anyone who needs mental health support as a result of the shooting and the ensuing coverage to reach out to 988 -- the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline -- by phone or text.
"It is incredibly important that we take care of our community in this very difficult time," she said. "We all have a role in preventing gun violence. Our entire community needs to be part of the solution here."
In a statement released Monday, President Joe Biden said his team has reached out to local officials to offer further support, while saying it's "unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence."
"We cannot continue to accept it as normal," the president said. "Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover."
'Why did they do that, why?'
As the search for a possible motive continued Monday night, a number of students, parents and community members were asking "why."
"I was scared and why did they do that, why?" said one student, Adler Jean Charles.
Adler said gunshots erupted while he was in English class.
"We heard them and then some people started crying and then we just waited til the police came," he said.
For hours, Adler and his classmates waited at a nearby medical clinic used for a reunification center. His mother told NBC Chicago about the moment she recognized her children were safe.
"It’s joyful and tearful at the same time," said Mireille Jean Charles, the mother of Adler and two other students. "Because one of them could be there dying… all three of them got out safely which is a blessing, and I am not taking it for granted."
"This is not okay," Mireille Jean Charles added. "If your kids are at school they are not okay, if they are at church, they are not okay. I they are outside, they are not okay. Where are they going to be safe?"
Where is Abundant Life Christian School?
Abundant Life Christian School, founded in 1978, is a private school located at 4901 E. Buckeye Road in Madison, Wisconsin. It has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
The school serves approximately 200 families from some 56 different churches in the greater Dane County area, its website said, including metropolitan Madison and its surrounding communities.
A 12:38 p.m. post from the school's Facebook page said the school had an "active shooter incident."
"Please pray for our Challenger family," the post went on to say.
