On the morning of December 16th, 2024, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who went by Samantha, opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a student and teacher, and injuring six others before taking her own life. This shooting adds to the over 900 school shootings nationwide in 2024.

Abundant Life Christian School is a private K-12 school on the east side of Madison. When the shooting occurred, the school did not have a school resource officer or metal detectors but did have indoor security cameras installed. The shooting began in a mixed-grade study hall classroom, and a second-grade teacher called 911. It lasted around eight minutes, from 10:57 a.m., when the 911 call was made, to 11:05 a.m., when police arrived and found the shooter dead. Two rifles were found at the scene, but only one was used. The victims were identified as 14-year-old student Rubi Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin West, and of the six who were injured, two were in critical condition, but are expected to recover.

The motives of the shooter remain unclear, as outgoing Madison police chief Shon Barnes said they were a “combination of factors” and that “we may never know what she was thinking that day, but we’ll do our best to try to add or give as much information to our public as possible.” Rupnow was confirmed to be a new student at the school by the school’s director of elementary and communications who had just enrolled that semester. Her parents, who were divorced and re-married twice, are currently cooperating with investigators, and she had been to a shooting range with her father. She has been pictured wearing a t-shirt with the band KMFDM, which has had connections to the 1999 Columbine High School shooters. Rupnow was found to have possibly been working with a 20-year-old man in California named Alexander Paffendorf, who was subject to a gun violence emergency restraining order, requiring him to turn in any firearms while the order is in effect.

As the shooting at ALCS continues to have a local and national impact, community members have reacted with grief, solidarity, and calls to action. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County organized a vigil held on December 18th at the State Capitol with hundreds of attendees and a toy drive for families affected by the shooting. A walkout from Madison West High School to the Capitol was hosted by MMSD high school students on December 20th, honoring those affected by the shooting and pushing for stricter gun safety measures. President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tony Evers, and Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson released statements condemning the shooting and expressing condolences to the victims. 

In the coming weeks, the investigation will likely provide more information about the background behind the shooter and her motives. The outpouring of support from residents and national figures highlights the deep impact this tragedy has had on the community. But as we continue to heal, the focus remains on supporting the victims and their families while working towards preventing such tragedies in the future.