Police Investigate 15-Year-Old Natalie Rupnow’s Motive Behind Christian School Shooting, Believed to Be a ‘Combination of Factors’
As the community grieves, police continue to investigate the Wisconsin school shooting in which a teen died after killing and injuring several others. Authorities say the motive behind the attack appears to be complex.
The December 16 shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, left one student and one teacher dead and six others injured. The suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, also died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities are investigating to determine her motives.
Crime scene tape surrounds Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin on December 17, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
As reported by The Associated Press (AP), Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes revealed that investigators are working to understand the reasons behind the attack. “Identifying a motive is our top priority, but at this time it appears that the motive is a combination of factors,” he.
The shooter used a handgun in the attack, and police are working to determine how she obtained the weapon.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes addressing the media on December 16, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Barnes also confirmed that investigators are examining whether the firearm wasby her parents.
“We also want to look at if the parents may have been negligent. And that’s a question that we’ll have to answer with our district attorney’s office,” Barnes. “But at this time, that does not appear to be the case.”
Police are also speaking with Rupnow’s father to gather information about his knowledge of the events leading up to the shooting and whether he was aware of. “But again, he lost someone as well,” Barnes, recognizing the difficulty of the situation for Rupnow’s father.
Investigators believe Rupnow was already inside the school when the attack began and have confirmed that no security breach occurred.
Students boarding a bus to a reunification center near Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
According to the AP, the attack, including two students currently in critical condition. CNN also reported that awas among the injured, and a full-time teacher was one of the two killed.
When asked if Rupnow deliberately targeted her victims, Barnes, “We don’t know if there would be a reason to target a (substitute) teacher, in this case, who doesn’t have significant ties to the school.”
A workers repairs the Madison home of 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow after police damaged it during an entry on December 17, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Besides talking to Runpow’s parents, police are analyzing her electronic devices, which have been turned over to FBI technicians, to determine if she communicated her plans or warned anyone about the attack. “There are always signs of a school shooting before it occurred. We’re looking into her online activity,” Barnes.
Daniel Brunner, a retired FBI supervisory special agent, suggested the importance of addressing. “If they missed a red flag and chose not to address it, if she made overt actions and overt statements that she wants to kill and they didn’t do it, that should be considered too,” he.
Police guard the home of 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 17, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
The tragedy has left the Abundant Life Christian School community in shock. The nondenominational school, serving prekindergarten through high school, has about 420 students.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi declined to name the victims, citing privacy concerns. “Leave them alone,” Rhodes-Conwayduring a press conference.
Outside the school, community members have begun paying tribute to the victims. Mackenzie Truitt, whose brother graduated from Abundant Life, placed a red poinsettia at the entrance. “My heart sunk because I know how awesome a lot of these kids are,” Truitt.
A memorial stands outside Abundant Life Christian School on December 17, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Truitt described the widespread fear during the shooting, highlighting the distress of not being able to contact loved ones. She called the experience deeply unsettling for everyone involved.
People attending a vigil at the state capitol building to mourn the victims of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 17, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
As the police continue to investigate the motives behind the Abundant Life Christian School shooting, the grieving community is seeking answers while healing.
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