3 dead, including teen shooter, at Christian school in Madison, WI

Three are dead and six others were injured at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a female student allegedly opened fire on Monday, just nine days before Christmas.

The teenage shooter, identified by police as Natalie Rupnow, 15, is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A teacher and another teenage student also died, Police Chief Shon Barnes told local media, but their identities have not yet been released.

“Today around 10:57 a.m. our officers responded” to a report of an active shooter, Barnes said at a 12:15 p.m. press conference, held less than 90 minutes after local officers responded. Police entered the building immediately and found “multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds” and a deceased “juvenile” believed to be “responsible” for the shooting.

A law enforcement official not authorized to speak told The Associated Press investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol. Later in the day, Barnes confirmed the weapon was a “handgun” and the crime took place in a classroom where a study hall of mixed grades met.

During the first press conference of four on Monday, Barnes received an update from an official who said the number of dead rose to five, but the police department posted an update to Facebook around 30 minutes later saying only three died.

At a second press conference around 2:30 p.m., four local officials spoke with the media: Barnes, Fire Chief Chris Carbon, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and County Executive Melissa Agard.

Barnes confirmed the shooter was “a teenage student who attended the school,” but did not release information about the shooter’s identity, age or gender. Barnes said police had made contact with the shooter’s family and they are cooperating with the investigation.

At 4:21 p.m., independent journalist Andy Ngo identified the shooter as Natalie Lynn Rupnow, 15, based on social media posts linked to the suspect. Ngo and other social media users shared manifesto-like writings believed to belong to the shooter.

In a third press conference around 5:45 p.m., the chief was still unwilling to release any details about the shooter, and discouraged any sharing of social media posts identifying the suspect.

At a fourth press conference, around 8:45 p.m., Barnes confirmed the shooter’s identity, but seemed irritated about the public’s interest in the shooter’s gender.

“I don’t know whether Natalie was transgender or not. And quite frankly, I don’t think that’s important at all,” Barnes said in reply to a question. “I don’t think whatever happened today has anything to do with how she or he or they may want to identify.”

The police chief had been otherwise unwilling to answer questions from the media about a possible motive.

The perpetrator of a similar shooting in 2023 at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, Audrey Hale, was reportedly a biological female who identified as male, and some other recent mass shooters have been described as transgender or LGBTQ.

Posts and writings linked by Ngo to Rupnow do not suggest the Abundant Life shooter was transgender, but may have held radical feminist views and had a fascination with school shooters.

Barnes revealed police were first informed of the incident through a 911 call from the school by a second grader.

Two students remain in critical condition and four others were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Two of the injured had been released by the 5:45 p.m. press conference, according to Barnes.

Two local hospitals, UW Health and SSM Health, told WKOW 27 they had received patients injured in the shooting.

The nondenominational K-12 Christian school has nearly 420 students, according to Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for the school, who also spoke to the media. Wiers revealed the school has security protocols that do not include metal detectors, but include a digital scan of every student when the day begins. She also said the school had benefited from a Department of Justice grant related to school security.

“We also have a very strong faith in our community that in spite of tragedy, God is working,” Wiers said. “And we believe that God is good in everything and that he turns beauty for ashes. And so I had a number of families who mentioned that to me, that this wasn’t a surprise to God, and that he’s going to do something mighty with it.”

The school asked for prayer on its Facebook page less than three hours after the incident:

“Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS. We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able. Please pray for our Challenger Family.”

Public schools in Madison were also put on lockdown as a precaution after the shooting was reported.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said on X he is also praying for those affected:

“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond.”

President Joe Biden called the incident “shocking and unconscionable” in a post on X. Biden used the occasion to call for gun control, echoing a statement released Saturday by the White house, on the 12th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.

Adam Wittenberg contributed to this report.