What we know about suspects, investigation

On By Littum

game

A day after a 15-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madisoninvestigators are working Tuesday to identify a motive in the shooting that killed a student and a teacher and left two others in critical condition.

The shooting happened Monday morning in a classroom at the private Christian school at 4901 E. Buckeye Road under a study hall. ONE second grader called 911 to report an active shooter at 10:57 a.m., Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.

The suspect was identified Monday night as Natalie Rupnow. She died on the way to a local hospital from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Barnes said.

Two students were in critical condition on Monday evening, the authorities said. Three other students and a teacher suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and two of the victims have been released from nearby hospitals.

Here’s what we know about the shooting and the ongoing investigation:

15-year-old student identified as shooter

Barnes identified the suspected shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who went by the name Samantha. Barnes did not immediately know what grade she was in.

Evidence indicates Rupnow died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Monday night. She was found when police arrived around 11 a.m. at Abundant Life Christian School and died on the way to the hospital.

Barnes said earlier Monday that police believed she had been at school earlier in the day and that investigators had no evidence of a break-in at the school building.

Investigators searched the teenager’s house and have spoken with her family, but have not identified a motive for the attack. It is still unclear how she got hold of a firearm. Barnes said at a press conference that Rupnow had no criminal history and no previous run-ins with the police.

Police are investigating social media posts and other writings allegedly written by the suspect in Monday’s shooting. Barnes told CNN on Tuesday morning.

“We have been made aware of a manifesto, if you want to call it that, or some kind of letter that has been sent by someone who is alleged to be her friend,” the chief told the newspaper. “We haven’t been able to locate that person yet, but that’s something we have to work on today.”

He went on to say that investigators were looking into whether she had contact with others about the shooting.

“We will also look through her effects if she had a computer or cell phone to see if there are any transmissions between her and someone else,” Barnes told CNN.

The family is cooperating with the police

At the school, investigators discovered the firearm they believe was used in the attack, Barnes said.

The chief did not provide additional information on where police believe the suspect obtained the weapon.

Barnes said the suspected shooter’s family is cooperating with authorities, who are investigating why the teenager opened fire and how she obtained a weapon.

How common are female school shooters?

It is rare that school shooters are female, according to for data and experts who study such events.

Of 544 school shootings over an 11-year periodless than 5% of the shooters were women, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit group that advocates for stronger gun laws. The group noted that the gender of the shooter is not always available, so data is incomplete.

Justin Heinze, an associate professor of health behavior and health equity at the University of Michigan, cautioned against drawing conclusions from such data.

“I will tell anyone who asks me that there is not necessarily a profile,” Heinze said. “I can’t give you individual characteristics or some patterns of behavior or some life experiences that produce with any real accuracy who might end up carrying out an event like this.”

“I think we have to be careful when we have conversations like this, because then you can kind of mix pieces of information together,” he added.

What you need to know about Abundant Life Christian School

Around 400 students are enrolled in the school from kindergarten to 12th grade. It shares a 28-acre campus with the Campus for Kids Learning Center, a program for infants through 4-year-old kindergarten, and the non-denominational City Church.

Real Life Christian School was founded in 1978, according to the school’s website, and the main building is located next door City Church Madisona Christian non-denominational church.

The school “was specifically organized to offer students academic excellence in a Christ-focused context,” its website says.

About 200 families representing more than 50 local congregations enroll their children in the school.

(This story will be updated).