Wisconsin latest: Police probe supposed manifesto for motive behind 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow’s school shooting

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.

Key points

• Natalie Rupnow, 15, identified as Madison shooting suspect

• Two shooting victims ‘in stable condition’

• Three people have died, including the suspected shooter

• Second-grader called 911 in Madison shooting

• Suspected shooter used a handgun, police say

Police in Madison to hold press conference update at 2pm ET

17:29 , Mike Bedigan

Authorities will hold a press briefing Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) for an update on the deadly shooting Monday at Abundant Life Christian School.

In pictures: Scenes from the Madison school shooting

17:10 , Mike Bedigan

Watch: Wisconsin shooting: 15-year-old identified as school shooter who killed student and teacher

16:48 , Mike Bedigan

Natalie Rupnow: What we know about the 15-year-old Wisconsin school shooter

16:28 , Mike Bedigan

A 15-year-old student killed two people, injured six others, and died in a shooting at a private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin, police said Monday.

The student was later identified as Natalie Rupnow. Here’s what we know about her:

Wisconsin school shooting: What we know as Natalie Rupnow named as killer in Madison

Wisconsin Rep Mark Pocan demands more action from society on gun control following shooting

16:08 , Mike Bedigan

Wisconsin Democratic Representative Mark Pocan has demanded more action from Congress and American society following Monday’s deadly shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.

Three people, including the teenage shooter, were killed and six others were injured, according to police.

“I’ve sat through so many moments of silence on the floors of Congress that are followed by zero moments of action. This is the over 80th school shooting this year, 480th mass shooting in this country this year alone,” Pocan told CNN.

The Democrat went on to mass shootings as a “uniquely United States’ problem” and said it had to be addressed “much more rapidly than we are.”

Recap: Timeline of Events

15:48 , Mike Bedigan

Here is the a recap of the timeline of events, per the Madison Police Department:

A second grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report the shooting.

Officers were dispatched to the school at 10:57. A deputy with the Dane County Sheriff’s Office was the first law enforcement on scene at 11:00. Twenty-four seconds later, the first Madison Police Department officer arrived at the scene at 11:01.

Officers entered the building as soon as they arrived on scene, not knowing what they would encounter.

At 11:05, officers inside the school alerted people the shooter was down and a gun was recovered. The Madison Police Department also began setting up its parent and guardian reunification center at 11:05.

The Madison Fire Department was dispatched to the scene at the same time as police. They arrived on scene at 11:05 and began linking up with officers who were inside providing aid to victims.

The first public notice about the shooting was posted on the Madison Police incident report website at 11:13.

Officers began clearing the school building at 11:14, and bomb dogs started searching the facility at 11:23.

The Madison Fire Department began transporting patients at 11:26. Again, we want to stress that EMS arrived on scene at 11:05 and immediately began linking up with officers to enter a scene with many unknowns.

Press briefings occurred at 12:15 p.m., 2:30, 5:30 and 8:30.

The department added that another press briefing will take place at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Star Wars actor shares heartbreaking headline in response to Wisconsin school shooting

15:28 , James Liddell

Star Wars actor Mark Hammil has shared a heartbroken and an evergreen headline after the United States was rocked by another school shooting, which has left three people dead.

A 15-year-old girl, who police identified as Natalie Rupnow, killed a teacher and fellow student after opening fire at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. Rupnow was also pronounced dead at the scene, Department Chief Shon Barnes said.

Six others have been left injured, including two left in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. At the time of writing, Rupnow’s motives remain unclear.

Greg Evans has the story.

Star Wars actor shares heartbreaking headline in response to Wisconsin shooting

Just in: Two shooting victims ‘in stable condition’

15:06 , James Liddell

Two people injured during the deadly shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday are in stable condition, according to hospital officials.

Four casualties were transported to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, hospital spokesperson Lisa Adams told CNN.

Psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers were on hand to support victims on Monday, the hospital said in a statement.

“Two were released yesterday, two remain in stable condition,” Adams told the news outlet on Tuesday.

Police and ATF work together to trace source of shooter’s weapon

14:50 , James Liddell

Investigators are working alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to track down the origin of the weapon believed to have been used by school shooter, Natalie Rupnow.

“We have asked our partners with the ATF to expedite what’s called an ATF trace form to try and determine the origin of that weapon, who purchased it and how it got from a manufacturer all the way to the hands of a 15-year-old girl,” Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told CNN.

The police chief said that Americans need to do a “better job” to not allow children to have access to weapons.

“I do not believe that 15-year-olds should have access to weapons that they can bring to school and potentially hurt someone,” he continued.

“We really have to do a better job not only in our communities but in our country with making sure that our young folks don’t have access to weapons and firearms and certainly making sure that we’re paying attention to the mental health of our children.”

Police ‘don’t know’ if slain teacher and student were intentional targets

14:30 , James Liddell

Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes authorities “don’t know” whether the teacher and student killed during Monday’s shooting were singled out by the assailant.

A substitute teacher was also wounded in the attack, police said on Tuesday.

“We don’t know if there would be a reason to target a (substitute) teacher, in this case, who doesn’t have significant ties to the school,” Barnes told CNN.

Wisconsin teen Natalie Rupnow joins a rare subset of school shooters: women

14:10 , James Liddell

Following her attack on the Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin, Natalie Rupnow has joined a rare subset of school shooters: women.

The 15-year-old, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Monday morning, is one of the few female perpetrators of school shootings in recent decades after a teacher and student were gunned down in the attack on the Madison school.

Gunmen commit the overwhelming majority of such attacks and, including the Madison shooting, just nine female students have carried out a school shooting since 1999, according to a Washington Post database.

Josh Marcus and James Liddell have the story.

Wisconsin teen Natalie Rupnow joins a rare subset of school shooters: women

‘Why did they do that? Why?’: Terrified little boy reveals horror of Wisconsin school shooting

13:50 , James Liddell

A terrified little boy has revealed the horror that unfolded inside his Wisconsin school when a teenage student opened fire, killing a teacher and another student before turning the gun on herself.

Officers were called to an active shooting situation at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison just before 11 a.m. Monday morning after a second-grade student called 911, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes said.

Police said the shooter, identified as 15-year-old student Natalie Rupnow, had opened fire on staff and students with a handgun, killing a teacher and a student.

James Liddell has the full story.

Terrified little boy reveals horror of Wisconsin school shooting

Timeline: The 30 minutes after second-grade student dialed 911

13:30 , James Liddell

Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes described the key timings of the attack and police response at Abundant Life Christian School in a news conference on Monday:

10:57 a.m: Second-grade student dials 911 to report the shooting

11 a.m: Dane County Sheriff’s Office deputy first officer on scene with the first Madison police officer arriving moments later. Officers entered the school as they arrived.

11:05 a.m: Shooter is down and a gun has been recovered, police said. Fire department personnel arrive and help casualties.

11:14 a.m: School building begins being cleared.

11:23 a.m: Bomb dogs are deployed to clear school.

11:26 a.m: Casualties being treated on school grounds begin being transported to hospitals.

12:15 p.m: First news briefing was held.

Police investigating shooter’s possible manifesto today

13:10 , James Liddell

Madison police are looking into a possible “manifesto” circulating online that may be connected to slain school shooter Natalie Rupnow, Chief Shon Barnes said Tuesday.

“We have been made aware of a manifesto, if you want to call it that, or some type of letter that’s been posted by someone who alleged to be her friend,” he told CNN.

“We haven’t been able to locate that person yet, but that’s something we’re going to work on today.”

Girl, 8, describes watching her teacher writhe in pain: ‘My leg, help!’

12:50 , James Liddell

Eight-year-old Nora Gottschalk was also inside the school when Natalie Rupnow allegedly began taking aim at those inside the building.

“I was getting ready for lunch, it was basically lunchtime, and then I just heard shouting,” the  little girl told News 3 Now while clutching onto her SpongeBob candy.

“And then there was a teacher… and she was screaming, ‘Ah my leg, help, help!’”

She added: “I was really scared, and I was really sad.”

Another second-grader, Noah, risked his own life by crawling from under the table where all the children were hiding to close the curtain to seemingly block the shooter’s view.

“He risked his life to put the black curtain down,” said Nora, before explaining that Noah is alive and okay.

‘That strategy probably helped save some lives’: Father praises school’s readiness for shooting

12:30 , Josh Marcus

Father Kellen Lewis believes Abundant Life Christian School prepared students and faculty well for the unwanted, but unfortunately common, threat of a school shooting.

Many of the school’s doors were locked, and students were instructed to move to the corners of classrooms.“They had a strategy, and that strategy probably helped save some lives,” Mr. Lewis told The New York Times.

Watch: Police identify 15-year-old school shooter who killed student and teacher

12:10 , James Liddell

Sixth-grader reveals horror moment gunshots began ringing out

11:50 , James Liddell

Sixth-grader Adler Jean-Charles explained the horror from inside the K-12 school in Madison as gunshots began ringing out.

“We heard them. And some people started crying. And then we just waited until the police came and they escorted us out to the church,” he told ABC 7. “I was scared and [thinking], ‘Why did they do that? Why?’”

He continued: “I was in English and they said it was a lockdown drill, so we went to the side of the building and we went to the church after they came and got us.

“They gave us some food and then waited for them to transport us to the hospital and get our moms and dads.”

Jean-Charles’ mother, Mireille, fought back tears as she explained the impact on both her son and herself.

“Thank God they were safe,” she said.

“But the trauma. It’s a lot, as I’m sure they lost friends and teachers, which is not OK. I don’t think they will be OK for a long time, and I’m not.”

Biden urges Congress to ‘act now’ – as he calls for ‘commonsense’ gun safety laws to be passed

11:30 , James Liddell

President Joe Biden has called for Congress to act “now” in the immediate aftermath of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.

In a statement issued by the White House on Monday, Biden said: “Today, families in Madison, Wisconsin, are grieving the loss of those who were killed and wounded at Abundant Life Christian School. It’s shocking and unconscionable. We need Congress to act. Now.”

The president said the both he and First Lady Jill Biden are lamenting the loss of the shooting victims, while his team has reached out to local officials to offer support.

“Jill and I are praying for all the victims today, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries. We are grateful for the first responders who quickly arrived on the scene, and the FBI is supporting local law enforcement efforts. At my direction, my team has reached out to local officials to offer further support as needed.”

Biden said that Congress must pass “commonsense” gun safety laws which include universal background checks, a “national red flag law,” and a “ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines”.

Female school shooting suspects are extremely rare

11:10 , Josh Marcus

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.

The shooting marks just the ninth time a female student has committed a school shooting since 1999, according to a Washington Post database.

Residents mourn for school shooting victims

10:50 , James Liddell

Police didn’t appear to have past interactions with shooter

10:30 , Josh Marcus

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.

Police throw stun grenades into home during investigation

10:10 , James Liddell

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.”

Schools resume classes on Tuesday

09:50 , James Liddell

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.

Police expected to announce new information in Madison shooting on Tuesday afternoon

09:30 , Josh Marcus

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.

In pictures: Police swarm the Abundant Life Christian School

09:10 , James Liddell

Candlelight vigil to be held on Tuesday evening

08:50 , James Liddell

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.

When a mass shooting becomes a social media rumor

08:30 , Josh Marcus

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.”

Catch up: the latest details on the Madison shooting

07:30 , Josh Marcus

Here’s what you need to know:

Wisconsin school shooting: What we know about the shooter who killed at least two

Mother furious after Madison shooting: ‘When are they going to be safe’

06:30 , Josh Marcus

Parents are in fear after a mass shooting hit a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.

“I don’t know what to say, because we always send prayers. We always send thoughts. When are we going to stop doing that? This is not okay,” Mireille Jean-Charles told The Washington Post on Monday after she reunited with her three sons, who are students at Abundant Life Christian School. “If your kids are at school, they are not okay. If they’re at church, they are not okay. If they are outside, elsewhere, they are not okay. Where are they going to be safe?”

White House speaks with Wisconsin officials after Madison shooting

05:30 , Josh Marcus

The White House has been closely tracking the Madison shooting.

President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Madison mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway after the shooting, which left three people including the gunman dead, according to officials.

Nancy Pelosi responds to Madison shooting

04:30 , Josh Marcus

‘We still haven’t done enough’: Parkland survivor on Madison shooting

03:30 , Josh Marcus

David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting in Florida, said on Monday that the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, shows “we still haven’t done enough” to stop gun violence against children.

“We have a lot further to go. Obviously Congress needs to do more to fight these things and prevent them in the first place,” he told ABC News on Monday.

“What I think about too at the same time are the shootings we don’t hear about because they were prevented, whet that’s through the red flag law we passed after Parkland.”

Family of teen shooter having ‘long conversation’ with police

03:03 , Josh Marcus

The family of Madison school shooter Natalie Rupnow is cooperating with police, Madison officials said on Monday night.

The 15-year-old’s father was speaking with police Monday evening, Madison police chief Shon Barnes told reporters.

“We have no reason to believe they have committed a crime at this time,” Barnes said of the family.

Madison police ‘don’t know’ if shooter was trans as chief tells public to leave aside ‘personal biases’

02:55 , Josh Marcus

The Madison Police Department has weighed in on fast-moving, unverified online speculation that the shooter in today’s Madison school shooting was transgender.

Chief Shon Barnes said Monday evening he didn’t know if Natalie Rupnow, who died in the shooting, was transgender, but that gender wasn’t immediately important.

“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.”

Second grader called 911 in Madison shooting

02:49 , Josh Marcus

A second grader was the one who called police on Monday morning to alert them about the Madison shooting, police said.

“Let that soak in for a minute, a second grade student called 911 at 10:57am to report a shooting at school,” Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said on Monday.

The shooting occurred in a study hall room where students of multiple grades were present, police said.

Police identify suspect in Madison shooting

02:39 , Josh Marcus

The Madison police department has identified the shooter who killed two people and died in a school shooting on Monday morning.

The individual is 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who has previously been described by officials as a student at the school.

Police said on Monday that an alleged document circulating online from the shooter had not been verified.

Wisconsin governor responds to Madison shooting

02:27 , Josh Marcus

Madison shooter planned attack in advance: report

02:12 , Josh Marcus

Law enforcement believes the shooter who killed two people and died in a school shooting on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin, planned the attack in advance.

The individual had been detailing with personal problems and expressed some of this information in writing, an unnamed law enforce source told CNN.

So far, police have not spoken publicly about a motive, target, or pre-made plan for the attack.

Motive still unclear in Madison shooting

01:55 , Josh Marcus

Police do not know whether the shooting had a specific target or motive.

“Whether they were targeted or not would speak to motivation and we don’t know that answer just yet,” Madison police chief Shon Barnes said on Monday.

Unclear if classes to continue this week at Abundant Life

01:35 , Josh Marcus

School officials are still discussing whether students will return to class at Abundant Life Christian School this week, after a mass shooting on Monday left three dead and six injured.“Whether we will return to classes this week — because this was our last week, we were done on Friday — is still to be determined,” Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations at Abundant Life, told The Associated Press.

ICYMI: What we know about the shooter who killed at least two in Madison

01:15 , Josh Marcus

An unidentified juvenile shooter has killed at least two people and injured six others at a private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin.

The shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m. The suspected shooter is believed to be a “juvenile” student at the school who died by suicide, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes said on Monday afternoon. Six people were taken to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.

“I’m asking everyone to send your heartfelt wishes and prayers, and thoughts, yet again, to a community — but this time it’s my community,” Barnes told reporters.

Wisconsin school shooting: What we know about the shooter who killed at least two

Police appear to search Madison home in connection to shooting

00:55 , Josh Marcus

Madison police appear to be searching a house on the north side of the city in connection with today’s shooting.

A WMTV news crew captured footage of officers outside the house, whose door appeared off its hinges on the ground nearby.

“As soon as I went in the house, I heard a loud boom,” a neighbor who gave her name as Maureen told the station.

Motive still unclear in Madison shooting

00:46 , Josh Marcus

Police are still looking for information on what motivated an individual to shoot up a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.

Madison police chief Shon Barnes told reporters on Monday it remained unclear if the victims of the shooting were targeted.

“Whether they were targeted or not would speak to motivation and we don’t know that answer just yet,” Barnes said at an evening news conference.

Impact of shooting will be ‘etched’ on students and community

00:35 , Josh Marcus

Local leaders are reeling after today’s shooting in Madison.

Here’s what police chief Shon Barnes said on Monday evening.

This is a day that will be certainly be etched in the collective memories of everyone in Madison, and just another example of what can happen in our country. We have to do better. We have to collaborate with each other…We have to use our resources when we see things that may being going wrong or someone who may be going off the beaten path. That’s the charge really to our country now, and we have to do a better job of taking care of each other. All children have been reunited with their parents. The children are now the latest group of survivors of a school shooting.”

Suspected shooter didn’t ‘breach’ school: police

00:20 , Josh Marcus

The gunman who opened fired and killed two people at a Wisconsin Christian school on Monday does not appear to have broken into the building, according to police.

“We believe the shooter was at school,” Chief Shon Barnes of the Madison Police Deparment told reporters on Monday. “We have no information that there was some kind of breach at the school.”

Madison shooting update: student reunification complete, two released from hospital

00:10 , Josh Marcus

Students from Abundant Life Christian School have finished reunifying with their parents after today’s mass shooting, while staff reunification remains ongoing, according to Madison Police Department chief Shon Barnes.

Two of the six people hospitalized in the shooting have since been released, he said.

Police chief warns public about unverified rumors on Madison shooting

00:05 , Josh Marcus

Madison Police Department Shon Barnes is warning members of the public to only get their information about today’s 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.

“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.”

WATCH: Madison police chief addresses public

Monday 16 December 2024 23:48 , Josh Marcus

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes is addressing the public with the latest information about today’s shooting.

“I cannot at this time formally tell you the age or gender or name of the shooter,” Barnes said, despite unconfirmed media reports the suspected shooter was a female student at the school. “We do not want to compromise any part of the investigation.”

Watch his full remarks here, via WMTV.

‘Not a drill… we heard popping…’

Monday 16 December 2024 23:45 , Io Dodds

A Wisconsin father has described how he first heard about the shooting from his 14-year-old daughter 31 minutes before being informed by the school.

Rob Nelson, whose daughter Olive is in the ninth grade at Abundant Life Christian School, told The Washington Post that she texted him at 10:58am local time to say: “Not a drill… we heard popping.”

Oliva then described sitting in a corner of her classroom while the shooting went on outside, hearing shouts for an ambulance, and seeing police officers swarm the premises.

Nelson then received a text message from the school at 11:29am informing him of an “active shooter incident”, with a follow-up text instructing him to go to a medical clinic to be connected with his children.

“We’ve been packed into a small room in the basement here for the last several hours, basically with no information,” he said.

Madison school did not have school resource officer: police

Monday 16 December 2024 23:44 , Josh Marcus

Abundant Life Christian School did not have a school police officer or metal detectors on-site at the time of Monday’s shooting, according to local police.

“I’m not aware that the school has metal detectors, nor should schools have metal detectors,” Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told reporters on Monday. “It’s a school, it’s a safe space.”

As The Independent has reported, school resource officers are a frequent topic of discussion after school shootings, but research hasn’t shown that they’re effective at stopping mass gun violence incidents.

Police didn’t stop shootings in Parkland or Uvalde. Biden is giving them $300m anyway

Vigil planned at Wisconsin Capitol after shooting

Monday 16 December 2024 23:30 , Josh Marcus

A vigil is planned tomorrow for the victims of Monday’s school shooting in Madison.

The event will take place at the Wisconsin State Capitol.

“We are actively planning ways to provide support, including safe spaces for youth to process their feelings, sharing mental health resources, and collaborating with community partners to address community needs,” Michael Johnson of the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County wrote on Facebook.

‘It’s just a shame’: Milwaukee Bucks coach on Madison shooting

Monday 16 December 2024 23:15 , Josh Marcus

Doc Rivers, head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team, is the latest community leader to weigh in on the Madison shooting.

“It’s just a shame that this keeps happening, that kids can’t go to school safe and it seems like we don’t do anything about it,” Rivers told reporters on Monday. “I’m not going to get up on the podium and give a long speech, except for it’s just bad, and we’re thinking about ‘em.”

Madison shooting is 83rd of 2024, setting record for last two decades

Monday 16 December 2024 23:00 , Josh Marcus

The shooting on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin, is the 83rd school shooting this year.

2024 has been the year with the most school shootings since 2008, according a CNN database.

Community reacts to Madison shooting

Monday 16 December 2024 22:41 , Josh Marcus

Community members are in shock in Madison, Wisconsin, after a shooting at a Christian school left three people dead, included the suspected shooter, and six people injured.

“I didn’t want to believe it. First I thought it was an accident,” Gary Herrmann, who lives nearby, told WMTV. “And then when I heard shooter, that’s when it really hit me.”

“Your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters,” Bethany Highman, whose daughter goes to Abundant Life Christian School, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re just waiting, praying.”

Shooting is Madison’s second in seven months

Monday 16 December 2024 22:26 , Josh Marcus

The incident today in Madison is the area’s second major mass shooting in seven months.

This summer, 12 people were wounded in a shooting at a rooftop party.

Police update number of people injured in Madison rooftop shooting to 12

What to know about the Abundant Life Christian School shooting

Monday 16 December 2024 21:30 , Kelly Rissman

Authorities in Madison, Wisconsin are reporting at least five dead and multiple injured at a K-12 private school.

The shooting occurred at the Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m. Monday. The shooter, who is believed to have been a student at the school, is among the dead, according to Madison police. Police said the school has been cleared and there is no further threat.

A nearby high school, a middle school, and an elementary school were locked down in the midst of the Abundant Life shooting.

Chief Shon Barnes of the Madison PD called it a “sad, sad day.”

Read the full story.

Two in critical condition, two dead after shooting at Wisconsin Christian school

Suspected shooter used a handgun, police say

Monday 16 December 2024 21:15 , Kelly Rissman

Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter, Chief Barnes said.

A handgun was recovered from the scene, he said.

It’s unclear how many students attend the school but each age group is separated by floor, the police chief said.

Dozens of school shootings that have resulted in injuries or death in 2024 alone, according to analysis

Monday 16 December 2024 21:00 , Kelly Rissman

This year alone, there have been 38 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths, according to an Education Week analysis.

There have been 220 of these shootings since 2018, the outlet found.

According to K-12 shooting database, which tracks gun-related incidents on school grounds, there have been 323 incidents this year alone.

A student and a teacher were killed along with the teenage suspected shooter: police

Monday 16 December 2024 20:41 , Kelly Rissman

The suspected shooter was a teenage student who attended Abundant Life Christian School, Chief Barnes said.

Three people were killed in the tragedy in total: the alleged shooter, another teenage student and a teacher.

Two students are in critical condition at the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Four students are also suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.

Wisconsin Congressman calls for Congress to pass gun safety measures after ALCS shooting

Monday 16 December 2024 20:30 , Kelly Rissman

Democratic Rep Mark Pocan, whose district includes Madison, sent his condolences to those impacted by the Abundant Life Christian School shooting and called for Congress to take action to improve gun safety measures.

“Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids,” he wrote on X. “More ACTION is needed by our elected officials. And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers. This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn’t have to happen.”

Schools should be safe spaces without the threat of gun violence, police chief says

Monday 16 December 2024 20:25 , Kelly Rissman

When a reporter asked Chief Barnes whether Abundant Life Christian School had metal detectors, he pushed back: “I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors, nor should schools have metal detectors.”

He added: “It’s a school. It’s a safe space.”

‘I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen’

Monday 16 December 2024 20:15 , Kelly Rissman

One mother whose children attend Abundant Life Christian School told Fox11 that she and her kids pray every morning that there won’t be a school shooting — and then oen happened.

“I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen,” she told the outlet.

“It’s the world that we live in. But God is good, God is gracious,” she said. Her children are safe.

Three people are deceased — including the alleged shooter — and multiple others are injured after a juvenile is believed to have opened fire at their own school.

The identity of the suspected shooter has not been made public and it’s not immediately clear how many of the victims are children.

WATCH: Police say two killed, shooter dead at Wisconsin Christian school

Monday 16 December 2024 20:05 , Kelly Rissman