Girl, 15, kills teacher, classmate, self in fresh US school shooting
Children prepare to board a bus bound for the reunification center where they'll meet their parents after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. December 16, 2024. (REUTERS / Cullen Granzen)
A 15-year-old girl opened fire in a Wisconsin classroom, killing a fellow student and a teacher before turning the gun on herself, police said.
Six others were wounded in the tragic incident, which took place at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.
Authorities identified the shooter as Natalie Rupnow, who also went by the name Samantha. The attack unfolded during a mixed-grade study hall shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday at the school, which has about 420 students spanning prekindergarten through 12th grade.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes revealed that the alarm was raised when a second-grader—just 7 or 8 years old—called 911 to report the shooting. “Let that soak in for a minute,” Barnes said, stressing the deeply unsettling nature of the incident.
The victims included one teenage student and a teacher, whose identities have not yet been released. Among the wounded, two students remain in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. A teacher and three other students sustained non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, and police are investigating how the 15-year-old obtained the handgun. “Good question. How does any 15-year-old get ahold of a gun?” Barnes said, echoing broader concerns about firearm access among minors.
The shooter’s parents are cooperating with authorities, though they are not suspected of any crime. Barnes acknowledged the sensitivity of the situation, noting that the girl’s father is grieving.
The incident has once again highlighted the ongoing crisis of gun violence in U.S. schools. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, this was one of 322 school shootings recorded in 2024 alone, marking the second-highest annual total since the database began tracking incidents in 1966.
Such shootings perpetrated by girls remain exceedingly rare—female attackers account for just 3% of mass shootings in the United States, according to studies.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway lamented the persistent nature of gun violence in the country. “We need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence,” she said.
Police Chief Barnes stressed the long-term emotional impact on the survivors, saying: “Every child, every person in that building, is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don’t just go away.”
The tragedy has left the city of Madison, with a population of about 270,000, reeling as officials continue to investigate and offer support to the affected families and community.
