Three people are dead, including the shooter, and six were injured in a shooting Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
The shooting at the private school happened shortly before 11 a.m. CT, police Chief Shon Barnes said.
A person is comforted outside Abundant Life Christian School Monday morning.
Here's what we know so far:
2nd grader called police
A second grade student at Abundant Life Christian School was the first call to police about a shooter in the building, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
"Let that sink in for a minute," he said.
Shooter identified
The shooter was identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who goes by the name Samantha. She died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
She was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.
Barnes said that there are documents allegedly written by the shooter circulating online, but those have not been verified.
Barnes said officers are still working to determine how Rupnow got the gun.
“How does any 15-year-old get a hold of them or anyone for that matter? You get into the philosophical question about guns and gun safety, something that we all should be talking to our loved ones about.”
Chief gives timeline of events
Barnes said the the second grader called 911 at 10:57 a.m. Officers reached the scene at 11 a.m, and 24 seconds later entered the building.
“Officers bravely entered the building as soon as they arrived not knowing what they were going to encounter," Barnes said.
At 11:05 officers reported that the shooter was down. Also at 11:05, officials started setting up a reunification center for parents.
Paramedics from Madison Fire arrived at 11:05 a.m., and Barnes said they were instrumental in providing aid and "potentially saving lives."
The incident was reported to the public at 11:13 a.m. The building was cleared a minute later, and at 11:23 bomb dogs cleared the building. The fire department started transporting victims at 11:16.
“I don’t know how we can minimize what has happened today, but we’re going to do the best we can to provide services for all these children and staff. We cannot forget the staff who bravely took care of their students.”
Students ‘handled themselves magnificently,’ school official says
Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, said students “handled themselves magnificently.”
She said when the school practices safety routines, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen on Monday.
“When they heard ‘lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.
Wiers said just before the school year, they had done a retraining with the Madison Police Department, so it was “very fresh for faculty.”
“This has obviously rocked our school community,” she said.
Wiers said the school has a total of 420 K-12 students. The school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures including cameras, she said.
Parent frustrated by lack of information
3:21 p.m. | More than three hours after the shooting, Rob Nelson was still waiting to be unified with his two children but had spoken with his 14-year-old daughter, Olive, a freshman, who had texted him about the shooting.
He said students from the school were taken out the school and taken across the parking lot to the church.
“She had messaged me that her school was on lockdown and that she had heard gunshots," he said. "She heard pops and bangs that sounded like a gun, and Olive is very familiar; we are a hunting family. But she said she was safe but was not sure about my son.”
Nelson eventually heard from his 12-year-old son, Charles, a few hours later because his seventh grade son’s phone had been in his locker.
“He said he was also OK, and I can tell you that that was the roughest two hours of my life,” Nelson said. “The kids will not be going back to school here.”
Parents entering Dean Clinic were required to go through metal detectors and sign in and each were issued a white name tag with their name hand-written in black marker. Parents "were packed into a small room” and given very little information, Nelson said during a break in which he walked to a nearby Kwik Trip.
“It’s a lot of disappointment in there with the amount of information that has been given,” he said. “I had no alerts, no other information. My phone never rang, and it’s a small, little private school.”
Shooter used handgun; home being searched
3:06 p.m. | The shooter used a handgun, Barnes said, adding that all the gunfire occurred in one area of the school.
The person was dead by the time police arrived, he said, adding that police are searching the shooter’s home. The shooter's parents are cooperating with investigation, Barnes said.
Biden, Evers monitoring response
1:20 p.m. | Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in a post on X he is closely monitoring the situation at Abundant Life Christian School.
“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,” Evers said.
“My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School,” U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, said in a post on X.
“Action not only prayers, Senator. Action!,” U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Black Earth, said in response to Johnson’s post.
President Joe Biden has also been briefed on the shooting and senior White House officials are in communications with local officials in Madison to provide support as needed, the White House said.
Barnes: 'My heart is heavy for Madison'
1:00 p.m. | "Today is a sad, sad day, not only for Madison, but for our entire country," Barnes said. "Another police chief is doing a press conference to speak about violence in our community, specifically in one of the places that's most sacred to me as someone who loves education and to someone who has children that are in school.
"I'm feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas, every child, every person in that building, is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don't just go away, and we need to figure out, try to piece together, what exactly happened right now, my heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison."
Update: 3 dead, 5 injured
Madison police corrected the number of casualties in Monday's school shooting, confirming that three people are dead, including the shooter, and five have been injured.
A police spokesperson earlier misstated the number of dead.
Shooter was student
12:30 p.m. | Madison police have just confirmed that shooter, whose name has not yet been disclosed, was a student at the school and is dead. The chief declined to say how the shooter died but said police did not fire their weapons.
At least seven others are injured. Their injuries range from minor to life-threatening.
Police chief Shon Barnes to address media
12:18 p.m. | Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes is expected to address the media shortly.
First responders meanwhile were trying to redirect parents and other family members from the school to the reunification point at the Dean clinic four blocks to the west, at East Buckeye and Stoughton roads. Some parents, unable to get through on Buckeye, have attempted to reach the school via side streets and have been referred to the clinic.
Abundant Life chief: 'We're praying hard'
11:50 a.m. | Chuck Moore, the executive director of the Madison nonprofit that runs Abundant Life and five other Christian schools, said he's had no communication from the school and didn't know whether the shooter and victims were part of the school community.
"We've had no communication from the school yet. We've been told we shouldn't go there," he said. "We've got emails and texts out. When it's appropriate, I'm sure we'll hear something. Of course you don't know who's been hurt."
He did not know where Abundant Life students and staff were as of just before noon. The school has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
Today was a regular school day for the school, which has about 420 students and about 25 to 30 staff, Moore said. The five other schools that are part of the nonprofit, Impact Christian Schools, were put into a "soft lockdown," he said.
"We're praying hard for them and we're communicating with the rest of our schools," he said.
Photos and videos: Abundant Life Christian School shooting
Abundant Life shooting
An ambulance goes by on East Buckeye Road after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Law enforcement personnel stationed outside American Family Insurance Children’s Hospital guide ambulance traffic at the facility following th…
Abundant Life shooting
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes speaks to media.
Abundant Life school shooting
"Enough is enough,” Madison police Chief Shon Barnes said of Monday's shooting. “We have to come together to do everything we can to support o…
Abundant Life school shooting
First responders gather at the Dean Medical Group Madison East clinic Monday where families were reunited with their children after a shooting…
Abundant Life school shooting
A staging area for families is set up at SSM Health Dean Medical Group after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Law enforcement personnel investigate a shooting that claimed multiple lives at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Law enforcement personnel gather outside Abundant Life Christian School following a shooting that claimed two lives and injured six others Mon…
Abundant Life school shooting
Police guard as emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School where multiple injuries were reported following a sho…
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A bus carrying students leaves as emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School.
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Scores of police vehicles line Buckeye Road in response to the report of the school shooting Monday morning.
Abundant Life school shooting
A law enforcement officer with a semi-automatic rifle walks past after a school shooting on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.
Abundant Life school shooting
An ambulance drives towards City Church where some people were being held after a school shooting on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School.
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People leave City Church, which shares a campus with Abundant Life, after Monday's shooting.
Shooting-families
People leave after waiting at City Church following a school shooting Monday at Abundant Life Christian School on Madison's Far East Side.
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A member of law enforcement walks past a sign for Abundant Life Christian School after a school shooting on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
People gather on a corner after a school shooting on Tuesday at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
An ambulance and police car pass by City Church after a school shooting on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School.
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Lights from a police car flash on Monday outside of Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
Therapy dogs and their handlers arrive at Abundant Life Christian School following Monday's shooting.
Abundant Life school shooting
A bus taking children from City Church to the reunification center drives past on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
Therapy dogs are walked towards City Church to provide support after a school shooting on Monday at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
A student gets on a bus for the reunification center after multiple injuries were reported following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian…
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A family leaves the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, following a school shooting Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
A family leaves the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, in Madison, following a school shooting.
Abundant Life school shooting
Metro Transit buses ferried children from the school to a reunification point with parents at a nearby Dean clinic.
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Children and adults leave the Dean Medical Group Madison East clinic, where families were reunited after Monday's shooting. The clinic cancele…
Abundant Life school shooting
Students aboard a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Students walks to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Students walk to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Families leave the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, following a school shooting on Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Students from Abundant Life Christian School arrive at the Dean Clinic on East Buckeye Road to meet up with their families after a shooting at…
Abundant Life school shooting
The Dean Clinic on East Buckeye Road is used as a reunification center for families after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
A Metro Transit bus transports students to the Dean Clinic on East Buckeye Road to meet up with their families after a shooting at Abundant Li…
Abundant Life school shooting
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes speaks during a press conference, with Charles Tubbs, Director of Emergency Management for Dane County, left,…
Abundant Life school shooting
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes speaks during a press conference at Fire Station No. 14 after a school shooting Monday.
Abundant Life school shooting
Students from Abundant Life Christian School arrive at the Dean Clinic on East Buckeye Road to meet up with their families after a shooting at…
Abundant Life school shooting
Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbon speaks during a press conference after a shooting that happened earlier in the day at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
Law enforcement direct traffic on East Buckeye Road after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
Abundant Life school shooting
A person gets emotional outside of the scene of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.
A shooter at Abundant Life Christian School left a teacher and student dead along with six injured on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 at Abundent Life C…
Shon Barnes gives details of the school shooting in Madison, in which a shooter killed 2 people and injured 6.
Students run from Abundant Life Christian School following a shooting there Monday morning.
