Second grader called police after school shooting in Wisconsin

Police in the US state of Wisconsin say the 911 call they received after Monday’s school shooting came from a child no older than seven or eight years old.

A teenage student and a teacher were shot and killed and six others wounded at a private Christian school by a 15-year-old girl, named by authorities as Natalie Rupnow. The attacker, who attended the school, was also found dead with a gun.

The police chief in the city of Madison said the child who called 911 just before 11:00 a.m. local time (17:00 GMT) was in the second grade. “Let it drag on for a minute,” Shon Barnes told reporters.

The perpetrator’s motive is not yet clear. The police’s next press conference is expected on Tuesday afternoon.

The victims have not yet been named, and neither has the child who raised the alarm.

Chief Barnes said two students faced life-threatening injuries. Four others were taken to hospital and two of them were later released.

The attacker, who also used the first name Samantha, is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No officers fired shots.

She attended school before launching Monday’s attack, Chief Barnes said. The shooting was confined to a study hall with students in mixed grades.

Asked about a text posted online purporting to be written by Rupnow, Chief Barnes said, “We have not been able to confirm that it is authentic. We are certainly aware that it is has been posted and the person who posted it is alleged to have a connection.” Information has been shared with the FBI, he added.

Rupnow’s family has been cooperating with the investigation. Local media reported that a property north of Madison was attacked on Monday.

Authorities have also appealed for witnesses, and a number of those present during the attack at Abundant Life Christian School have spoken to local media.

Eight-year-old Nora Gottschalk told CNN affiliate WISC that she was getting ready for lunch when the shots rang out. She saw a teacher who was injured, screaming for help. “I was really scared and I was really sad,” she said.

Adler Jean-Charles, who is in sixth grade, said he heard two gunshots when he was walking to English class. “Some people started crying and then we just waited until the police came,” he told WISC.

Bethany Highman, who attended the school and now has a daughter who is a student, told another CNN affiliate, WMTV, “I pray with my kids every morning that this will not happen, and this is the world we live in in.”

The school’s director of public relations said student training for a mass shooting would have been “very fresh” after sessions were held earlier this year.

President Joe Biden said the shooting was “shocking and unconscionable” and urged lawmakers to act immediately on legislation that could prevent more gun violence.

Mass shootings are common in the United States, including at schools. According to the news organization EducationWeek, 38 of them have caused deaths or injuries this year. There were a total of 69 victims – including 16 deaths – before Monday’s attack.

But school shootings by female attackers are rare.

The school, which has about 400 students from kindergarten to high school age, remains closed during the investigation.