Another school shooting has taken place in the United States — this time, in Madison, Wisconsin. A student at Abundant Life Christian School opened fire on December 16, 2024, leaving a teacher and another student dead. Multiple people in the building were injured, according to several outlets. The suspect has been identified as 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow.
Learn more about Rupnow and the incident at Abundant Life Christian School below.
Who Is Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow?
According to NBC News, police revealed that the shooter was Rupnow. During a press conference following the shooting, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes informed the public that Rupnow is dead. It is believed that Rupnow died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rumors circulated on social media about an alleged manifesto by Rupnow, but Barnes pointed out the document has not been verified. Barnes also addressed a rumor claiming that Rupnow identified as trans.
“I don’t know whether [the shooter] was transgender or not,” Barnes told reporters. “I don’t think that whatever happened today has anything to do with how she or he or they may have wanted to identify. And I wish people would kind of leave their own personal biases out of this.”
Barnes continued, “Whether or not she was, he was, they were transgender is something that may come out later, but for what we’re doing right now, today, literally eight hours after a mass shooting in a school in Madison, it is of no consequence at this time.”
Two people have been killed and six others wounded after a 15-year-old girl opened fire inside the Christian school she attended in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday. @perezreports has more. pic.twitter.com/xuSeMFBHvA
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 17, 2024
Abundant Life Christian School Victims
One teacher and one student are dead, according to NBC News. Six others were injured, two of whom are in critical condition.
Police said Rupnow opened fire on a study hall that included students of different ages. The police chief pointed out that the 911 call was made by a second grader.
“Let that soak in for a minute. A second-grade student called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report a shooting at school,” Barnes told the public.
Multiple outlets interviewed surviving students, one of whom is just 8 years old. The student told WISC-TV that she heard gunfire and saw a teacher “screaming like, ‘Ahh, my leg! Help! Help!”
How Many School Shootings Have There Been in 2024?
As of December 2024, there have been at least 83 school shootings in the U.S. this year, according to CNN. More than 50 incidents happened in K-12 schools. However, other outlets reported that there have been more than 300 school shootings in 2024.