2 killed, suspect dead in school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, police say
MADISON, Wis. (CBS) — Two people were killed and a teenage suspect — later identified as a 15-year-old girl — was found dead in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday morning.
Just before 11 a.m., Madison police responded to the mass shooting at the private school located at 4901 E. Buckeye Rd. on the east side of Madison.
Madison Chief of Police Shon F. Barnes said a second-grade teacher called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report the shooting. (Police initially said the 911 call came from a second grader, but then corrected that Tuesday to say it was a teacher who called.)
The shooting took place inside a classroom and study hall occupied by students in various grades, Barnes said.
The shooter has been identified as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, a student at the school who lived in Madison and went by the name Samantha. It is believed she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after opening fire in the school.
"What we do know is this child was obviously very troubled," Barnes said in an interview with "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday. "There's usually some type of warning signs that we all may have missed and so we have to understand that we have to come together as a community. We have to wrap our arms around our children and understand what's going on in their lives."
Police said the two people who died in the shooting were a teenage student and a teacher.
According to Pastor Chris Dolson, who was speaking at a vigil for the victims on Monday night, the teacher who was killed may have been a substitute.
"There's a woman who called in sick today. She's a teacher. And there was a substitute that came in to take her place that was shot and killed," Dolson said. "Survivor guilt kicks in when those things happen."
CBS News has not independently confirmed the teacher's identity.
Five other students and another teacher were injured. Two of the wounded students remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries Monday night, Barnes said.
The surviving teacher and three other students were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and two of those victims have been released, while the other two have been stabilized, Barnes said.
Barnes confirmed officers found the teenage shooting suspect at the scene apparently having shot herself, and officers fired no shots. Police said the suspect used a 9 mm pistol, and police were working to trace the gun.
Rupnow was pronounced dead while being taken to the hospital, Barnes said.
All surviving students were reunited with their loved ones in the hours after the shooting, officials said.
As police searched for a motive late Monday, the FBI was working with local law enforcement to process the scene, conduct interviews, and obtain search warrants.
"We'll spend a lot of time going through some items that we took from her house as a result of a search," Barnes said. "We'll look through her social media, talk to some of her friends, and really try to piece together how a 15-year-old was able to do something like this in such a short amount of time."
CBS News Chicago is told the suspected shooter's family is cooperating with police.
"Right now, my heart is heavy for my community," Barnes said earlier Monday. "My heart is heavy for Madison, and we have to come together as a community and figure out what happened here and make sure that it doesn't happen at any other place that should be a refuge for students in our community."
Barnes is a former public school teacher and taught history for four years before switching career paths to law enforcement.
"This affects me tremendously," he said. "I've always had a big heart for school and education. As someone who values the sanctity of school and understanding and being in that position to know how dedicated teachers really are, to understand that our kids need to be safe in order to learn."
Mireille Jean-Charles is the mother of three boys who attend Abundant Life Christian School. She spoke with Meryl Hubbard, a reporter for CBS affiliate WISC-TV in Madison.
"It's sad, you know, to be home and then somebody calls you and says your kids' school in lockdown—and you don't know where they are. And I was there since 11. I finally got them, and thank God they were safe," Jean-Charles said. "But the trauma—it's a lot, because I'm sure they lost friends and a teacher, which is not OK. And I don't think they will be OK for a long time, and I'm not."
As reported by WISC, school director of elementary and school relations Barbara Weirs said the school does not have metal detectors, but does follow safety protocols. Weirs said the school held a practice lockdown at the beginning of the current academic year, the station reported.
"We've joked around about how safe a 400-student-bodied school—Christian private school—is, right?" a man said. "If it can happen here, it can literally happen anywhere."
Hours after the shooting, several officers were seen removing the door from a Madison home in a search Chief Barnes said was connected to the investigation.
"Our detectives are working hard in the investigative process to find out as many answers as we can so that we can further prevent these things from happening—not only in this community, but in other communities around our country," Barnes said.
Dave Wagner is the former principal of the school.
"My heart grieves beyond words with them," Wagner said. "I know the principal. I know several of the teachers. They're going to be impacted for their life by the tragedy of this day.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers released the following statement:
"There are no words to describe the devastation and heartbreak we feel today after the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison this morning.
"Kathy and I join the people of Wisconsin in praying for the families and loved ones of those whose lives were so senselessly taken and for the educators, staff, and the entire Abundant Life school community as they grapple with the grief, trauma, and loss of this gut-wrenching tragedy. We are also praying and hoping all those injured survive and recover.
"Kathy and I are also keeping in our hearts the first responders who acted quickly and ran toward danger to help save lives. This day will no doubt weigh heavily on them, and we are grateful for their critical response efforts in answering the call when they were needed most.
"As a father, a grandfather, and as governor, it is unthinkable that a kid or an educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it.
"Today my focus is on supporting these families and kids and the Abundant Life community, and the state stands ready to support them and the efforts of local law enforcement through what will undoubtedly be difficult days ahead."
Gov. Evers has ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to half-staff across the state immediately until sunset on Sun., Dec. 22.
Abundant Life Christian School is a private, nondenominational religious school that serves just under 400 students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Parents, 8-year-old student describe their alarm
Students as young as kindergarten age experienced the shooting. Second grader Nora Gottschalk, 8, heard the gunfire personally.
Nora's father encouraged CBS News Chicago to talk to her—thinking it could help her heal.
"She was calling all of us in. She did this—'Everyone, come in!'" Nora said, "because that was the first time that's ever happened, and it's her first year as a teacher."
Nora said she knew she was hearing gunshots. She said she was putting on her shoes when the gunfire rang out—and caused a flood in her classroom.
"I think that one of the bullets hit one of the pipes when we were all in the classroom. It hit like right above our door, and the flood went like, 'Boop! Ssss!'" she said.
Nora said she was scared. Her dad, Karl, rushed to the school.
"I panicked. I mean, it could be mine. Seeing all the ambulances made me think, why is there 12 ambulances?" Karl Gottschalk said.
Meanwhile back at the school Tuesday, a group of school bus drivers brought flowers, candles, and prayers.
"My son was part of the Waukesha school shooting. He was a victim of that shooting. He had a gun pointed at his face that particular day," said school bus driver Megan Mojica. "So when I'm seeing everything go on here, it brought me back to that day."
It was a surreal scene the day after the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, where yellow tape still surrounded the playground—and a sign was still up reading, "Happy Thanksgiving."
"The amount of stress is unknowable until you're there, and then it's just an overwhelming flood of certainty and fair—but it gets outweighed really quickly, you know, as we have faith," said Abundant Life parent James Smith.
James and Rebekah Smith said their daughter was already well familiar with active shooter drills.
"They have drills every month," said Rebekah Smith. "Our daughter was sick of practicing for active shooter."
The Smiths said their daughter, a high school junior, did not know the shooter well—only having seen her passing in the hall.
"She's new and she didn't talk to anyone," Rebekah Smith said of Natalie Rupnow. "They were all talking about it, like her friends never had one conversation. They weren't in the same class either."
The Rev. Kellen Lewis also has four kids who attend the school.
"Hugging them a little bit extra tight, giving them a kiss, letting them know I love them. You know, it's tough," Lewis said. "It makes you appreciate your kids, but man, my heart goes out to those that—they don't have their kids to hug anymore."
It is extremely rare for women to carry out mass shootings. Data from the think tank Rockefeller Institute of Government lists 441 mass shootings in the United States between 1966 and 2022 — more than 95% of the perpetrators of those shootings were men, and just 4.3% were women.
The organization defines a mass shooting as "an incident of targeted violence carried out by one or more shooters at one or more public or populated locations," which results in multiple victims injured or killed and where both the victims and locations are chosen randomly or for "symbolic value." Their definition excludes shootings related to gang violence or militant activity.
Although exact figures vary somewhat between research groups, depending on how "mass shooting" is defined, other organizations report similarly low rates of these incidents being carried out by female shooters. The nonprofit Violence Prevention Group tracked 195 mass shootings between 1966 and 2022, categorizing a mass shooting as one where four or more people are shot and killed, excluding the shooter. That group's research showed 192 of the shooters were men, and just 4 were women. It also accounted for the perpetrator in a Nashville school shooting in 2023, who was transgender.
The number of women who carry out mass shootings in schools — one of the most common places for this sort of crime — is similarly low compared with men. Of 544 shooting incidents at K-12 schools between 2013 and 2024, the advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety found less than 5% of the perpetrators were female, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.
