Police said a “combination of factors” appears to have led a 15-year-old student to carry out an action shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, but declined to share more information.
The shooting at Abundant Life Christian School leaves three dead, including the perpetrator, who police have identified as a student Natalie Rupnow. Rupnow, who also went by Samantha, appears to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The other two dead are a teacher and a teenage student, whom police have not identified. Six people – a teacher and five students – were injured. Four are still in hospital.
At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said he would not share more details about Rupnow’s motive to avoid jeopardizing the investigation. He asked anyone with information about Rupnow’s state of mind before the shooting to contact the Madison CrimeStoppers.
Barnes said investigators are looking into Rupnow’s social media presence but have not shared any specific information about the teen’s behavior online. Investigators are also trying to determine whether Rupnow was bullied and whether that influenced her actions, Barnes said, but he did not say whether anyone specifically was targeted.
“Everyone was targeted in this incident,” Barnes said. “Everyone was in equal danger.”
Police are investigating how Rupnow obtained a gun, Barnes said Monday, and Rupnow’s family is cooperating with the investigation.
Barnes also addressed the distribution of a document allegedly related to the shooting that has been circulating online. Barnes said the authenticity of the document cannot be verified, and said investigators are working on the origins of that document and how it was shared online. He asked that the document not be further distributed or shared, and said police would provide an update if possible.
Barnes also clarified an earlier statement about the shooting that was reported to 911 by a second-grade student. He said the shooting was actually reported by a second-grade teacher.
Barnes and other local officials said multiple threats were made against local schools, resulting in lockdowns. None of these threats led to violence.
A vigil honoring the shooting victims will be held at the Madison Capitol on Tuesday at 6 p.m. local time, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.
