Natalie Rupnow, 15, identified as Wisconsin school shooter: Latest ...
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A 15-year-old girl, who police identified as Natalie Rupnow, killed a teacher and fellow student after opening fire on a K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin.
Police responded to reports of an active shooter at Abundant Life Christian School just before 11 a.m. on Monday morning and entered the building immediately upon arrival.
Rupnow – who went by “Samantha” – was pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene of a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes said.
Six others have been left injured, including two left two in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. Her motive remains unclear.
A second-grade student dialled 911 to report the shooting, police said Monday. Authorities found a handgun at the scene. Rupnow’s family is cooperating with police, the chief said.
Joe Biden, who was briefed on the school shooting on Monday, said: “It’s shocking and unconscionable. We need Congress to act. Now... Jill and I are praying for all the victims today, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries.”
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Tuesday evening as Madison reels from the attack.
Police have identified 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow as the shooter who killed two people and died on Monday in a shooting at a Madison, Wisconsin, Christian school.
Josh Marcus17 December 2024 11:10
James Liddell17 December 2024 10:50
Madison police do not appear to have previously interacted with shooter Natalie Rupnow before Monday’s incident, according to officials.
“To my knowledge, I’m not aware we’ve had any issues with her,” Chief Shon Barnes said during a Monday press conference. “If there were, we certainly would’ve had some type of intervention, but I’m not aware of that.”
He added department intelligence analysts will be looking through records to definitely ascertain whether police had past contact with Rupnow.
Josh Marcus17 December 2024 10:30
Police are said to have detonated stun grenades in a property eight miles away from the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday afternoon as their investigation into the shooting continues, according to neighbors.
Videos show a home in the north of Madison, which has its door removed and windows damaged, decorated with Christmas lights and cordoned off with police tape, WTMJ reported.
It is not clear if it is the home of the suspected school shooter.
Local residents say they saw police throw flash bangs into the property after investigators arrived in the early afternoon on Monday and were going in and out of the residence until night fell. The non-lethal explosive device are used to disorient or distract enemies in close-quarters combat.
“I heard the news this afternoon and thought, well, we’ll just drive by the main drag, and there it was,” one neighbor told the news outlet. “The front door was taken off and nobody was around, and the detectives are in there mopping up the mess.”
James Liddell17 December 2024 10:10
Classes will continue on Tuesday for schools in the Madison Metropolitan School District, according to WISC-TV.
It follows a lift on several district schools being put on secure hold on Monday.
The Madison Metropolitan School District is the second largest school district in Wisconsin and serves over 25,000 students in 52 schools, according to its website.
James Liddell17 December 2024 09:50
Madison, Wisconsin, police are expected to provide a public update on the investigation into a mass shooting on Monday that injured six and left three people dead, including the shooter.
The press conference is slated for 1 p.m. local time.
Key pieces of information about the shooting are not yet public, including the names of the victims.
Josh Marcus17 December 2024 09:30
James Liddell17 December 2024 09:10
A candlelight vigil is scheduled for Tuesday night as Madison reels from the heinous attack on the Abundant Life Christian School.
The city mayor and education officials expected to attend, according to WMTV.
Police asked the local community to delay holding vigils on Monday at the school, which remains an active crime scene. Law enforcement officials monitored the school overnight.
James Liddell17 December 2024 08:50
At multiple times in the hours after the Madison shooting, officials have warned members of the public to disregard the social media rumor mill, an increasing fact of life after high-profile instances of violence in America.
First, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes reminded members of the public of a bit of basic media literacy, telling them to only get their information about the shooting from trusted government and media sources, as online speculation about the incident runs rampant.
“Social media, quite frankly, is something I can’t control,” he said at a press conference.
“If you’re listening to this and you’re at home or thinking about reposting something that did not come from someone in this room, a trusted and respected journalist, please don’t do that,” he added. “It does help erode the trust in this process, and that’s all we have.”
Barnes said such rumors could “fan the flames” at a time when “we need to come together and not be divided by anything.”
Later, as online commentators, particularly those on the right, engaged in unverified speculation the shooter was trasgender, Barnes had a more pointed comment.
“I dont think that whatever happened today has anything to do with how she, or he, or they may have wanted to identify,” Barnes said. “I wish people would kind of leave their own personal biases out of this. We have people who have yet another school shooting in Madison. That’s where my focus will be for the very near future.”
Josh Marcus17 December 2024 08:30
Here’s what you need to know:
Josh Marcus17 December 2024 07:30
