Father of Abundant Life school shooter charged with 3 felonies
The father of a teen who killed a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, in December has been charged with three felonies, the Associated Press…
The father of a teen who killed a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, in December has been charged with three felonies, the Associated Press reported.
Early Thursday, police arrested and charged Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of providing a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 resulting in death. Each count is punishable by up to six years in prison, the AP reported.
Rupnow’s daughter, Natalie, 15, gunned down a teacher and a 14-year-old student before taking her own life. Five other students and another teacher were injured but survived.
The charges stem from a 9 mm Glock handgun used in the attack and a .22-caliber pistol Natalie had in a bag she brought to the school. Both were given to her by her father, police documents show.
Jeffrey Rupnow had reportedly shared his gun safe combination with his daughter, who was upset by her parents’ divorce.
Jeffrey and Melissa Rupnow reportedly married in 2011 but divorced three years later. They remarried in 2017 but split again in 2020, with their divorce finalized the next year.
A review of Natalie’s social media and electronic devices found disturbing posts about violence and an apparent fascination with school shootings, including the infamous Columbine High School shooting.
She was in therapy, according to court documents, and had transferred to Abundant Life in August. Four months later, she opened fire in a study hall.
Jeffrey Rupnow, who is scheduled to appear in court Friday, is the latest parent to be charged in connection with a school shooting or violent attack, the AP reported.Â
The parents of a Michigan school shooter who killed four students in 2021 were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter last year, and the father of a 14-year-old accused of shooting four people at a Georgia high school is facing second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter charges for letting his son possess a weapon.
