A teenage girl has been identified as the shooter who killed a student and teacher and injured multiple others during an incident at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday (December 16).
Natalie 'Samantha' Rupnow, 15, who was a student at the K-12 Abundant Life Christian School, opened fire with a handgun inside a classroom holding various grades during study hall at around 11:00 a.m. local time, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes announced via the New York Post. A teenage student and teacher were pronounced dead at the scene while another teacher and five students, including two reported to be in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, were injured.
Rupnow, who sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was pronounced dead en route to a nearby hospital, according to Barnes. An alleged manifesto, which included hateful views, was shared online and suspected to potentially have belonged to the shooter, however, authorities haven't confirmed the document as of Tuesday (December 17) morning.
“We haven’t been able to verify that it’s authentic, we’re certainly aware that it’s been posted,” Barnes said, acknowledging that his department was working with the FBI as part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged writings.
SWAT teams raided Rupnow's family's home Monday night, which is located about eight miles from the school in Madison, Wisconsin's capital city. The K-12 Abundant Life Christian School has a student body of just over 400 students.