The attacker killed a teacher and a student and injured four other students, authorities said.
Local authorities have identified the shooter in the deadly Dec. 16 shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
In a press conference on Monday evening, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes identified the shooter as 15-year-old female student Natalie Rupnow. She went by the name Samantha at the school.
Police said that investigators were talking with the suspect’s family, who are in shock, grieving, and cooperating to address the question of how the teenage girl came in possession of the handgun used in the tragic crime.
Police are in the process of searching the suspect’s home.
“He lost someone as well,“ Barnes said of the shooter’s father. ”And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
Barnes added that Rupnow died en route to hospital from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound after she attempted to kill herself on the scene. She was found among those injured by the police officers who were first on the scene.
A teacher and a teenage student were killed at the scene. Six others were injured, including a teacher and five students who were transported to the local UW Health Hospital or St. Mary’s Hospital. Two of the injured students are in critical condition.
The teacher and the three other students sustained non-threatening injuries. Two have been discharged and two are in stable condition.
“At this time, we believe there was only one shooter involved,” Barnes said.
The shooting occurred during study hallway when a mix of students from different grades were present. Barnes said the 911 call reporting the shooting was made by a student in 2nd grade, meaning they were likely only 7 or 8 years old.
The school remains closed as an active crime scene.
There was, as yet, no known motive for the violence. A document about the shooting is circulating on social media but police said they have not verified its authenticity.
By Melanie Sun
