A 15-year-old girl opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, killing a fellow student and a teacher, and wounding six others before fatally shooting herself, police said. The shooter, identified as Natalie Rupnow, also known as Samantha, carried out the attack three hours into the school day.
Among the six injured, two students suffered life-threatening injuries, while a teacher and three other students are expected to survive, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes. A second-grade student, just 7 or 8 years old, called 911 to report the shooting, highlighting the trauma endured by those present.
School shootings remain a devastating and recurring issue in the U.S., with 322 such incidents recorded this year, the second-highest since tracking began in 1966. Female shooters remain rare, accounting for only 3% of mass shootings. Police noted there was no known motive, though the shooter’s family is cooperating with the investigation.
Students practiced lockdown drills previously, but this time, when they heard “lockdown, lockdown,” they knew it was real. Survivors were later reunited with their parents off-campus.
President Joe Biden condemned the violence and urged Congress to enact stricter gun laws, saying, “We cannot continue to accept it as normal.” Despite bipartisan support for reforms like stronger background checks and safer gun storage, political action has stalled, often citing constitutional protections for gun owners.
The shooting occurred just days after the 12th anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre, a grim reminder of the nation’s ongoing gun violence crisis. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway emphasized the need for community-wide action to prevent such tragedies.
