MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Funerals have been planned for the student and teacher who were shot and killed by a 15-year-old at a religious school in Wisconsin, as police continued their investigation into the motive Thursday.
Abundant Life Christian School student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, of Madison, and teacher Erin West, 42, of DeForest, were killed in the attack Monday. Police say student Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow committed suicide at the school and died at a hospital in Madison. Two other students who were shot remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday.
Vergara’s funeral was scheduled for Saturday at City Church, which is adjacent to the school, and West’s funeral is Monday at Doxa Church in Madison, where she was a member, according to obituaries published Wednesday and Thursday.
West worked at the school for four years and was the mother of three daughters, according to her obituary. She enjoyed camping with family, attending school sporting events, serving at Doxa Church and spending time with her daughters and the rest of her family, the obituary said.
“ALCS is a better school for Erin West’s work,” the school said in a statement.
West worked as a substitute teacher for three years before accepting a staff position as a sub-coordinator and built-in substitute teacher, the statement said.
“She served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom and, most importantly, with the love of Jesus,” the school said.
“Her loss is painful and deep and she will be deeply missed, not only by our staff, but by our entire ALCS family.”
Vergara was a freshman at the school and “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” according to her obituary.
The school described her as gentle and loving.
“Rubi was a blessing to her class and to our school,” the school said. “She was not only a good friend, but also a great big sister. Often seen with a book in hand, she had a gift for art and music.”
Attempts to get comment from relatives of West and Vergara were unsuccessful.
The shooter brought two guns to the school. A man in California told authorities he sent her a message about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives, according to a restraining order issued against him on Tuesday under California’s red flag law. The order required the 20-year-old Carlsbad man to surrender his guns and ammunition to police within 48 hours, but it was unclear Thursday whether he complied, would be charged or was in custody.
The order did not say which building he was targeting or when he planned to carry out his attack. His interactions with Rupnow were also not detailed, other than to say the man plotted a mass shooting with her.
A spokesperson for the Carlsbad Police Department said federal authorities were leading the investigation and “we do not believe there is a threat to our city.”
Police, with the help of the FBI, searched online records and other sources and spoke with the shooter’s parents and classmates in an effort to determine a motive, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday.
Police do not know if anyone was targeted or whether the attack was planned in advance, the chief said.
Although Rupnow had two handguns, Barnes said he does not know how she obtained them and declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.
No decision has been made yet on whether Rupnow’s parents can be charged, but they have been cooperative, Barnes said.
Online court records show no criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. They are divorced and share custody of their daughter, but she lived primarily with her father, according to court documents.
Abundant Life is a non-denominational Christian school with approximately 420 students offering kindergarten through high school classes.
Adam Rostad, who lives near Madison, attended ALCS from kindergarten through high school. His grandfather was a pastor of the church who helped found the school, and his mother and aunt both worked there.
Rostad said Thursday that even though he graduated about 20 years ago and doesn’t even consider himself a “church person” anymore, ALCS is family.
He has gathered a list of about 440 people who would like to cook meals or buy gift cards for those affected, and is coordinating with the school and church to make sure this is the best way to help.
“Bullets don’t really care what your faith is or whether you have one,” Rostad said. “They really don’t.”
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Associated Press writers Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis and Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.
