The female school shooter, who gunned down students and teachers before turning the gun on herself in Wisconsin, was named by officials on Monday night.
Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow, 15, killed a student, a teacher, and then herself at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison shortly before 11am on Monday.
Rupnow’s alleged manifesto has been circulating on social media. Police said they have not confirmed the document’s validity.
Two people are currently fighting for their lives in hospital after the rampage.
Rupnow, who died from a self-inflicted gun wound on the way to hospital after the school shooting – opened fire in a mixed-grade study hall, police said.
Cops unsure if shooter’s manifesto is real
Police said they are aware of a manifesto allegedly written by the 15-year-old shooter circulating on social media.
However, cops said they haven’t been able to verify that it’s authentic.
Chief Barnes told the press conference on Monday night: ‘A document about this shooting is circulating at this time on social media, but we have not verified its authenticity.’
The suspected shooter was a teen who attended the school and was found wounded by police from a self-inflicted gunshot. She died on her way to a local hospital. Barnes said that a second-grade student was the one who called 911 to the school.
A community broken: Heartbroken mourners embrace one another at evening vigil
Somber worshipers at Blackhawk Church in Middleton, Wisconsin, were seen embracing one another and praying for the victims of Monday’s school shooting.
Police had ‘no previous interactions’ with the shooter
Police said they were unaware of any previous interactions with the 15-year-old suspect.
Locals in Wisconsin lead prayer service
Locals have gathered at Blackhawk Church to mourn the victims of Abundant Life Christian School on December 16, 2024 in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Many mourners were seen deep in prayer, with their hands together, during the somber vigil.
It took officers 3 minutes to arrive on scene
The first 911 call was made at 10:57am on Monday morning, informing law enforcement that there was a shooting at the religious school in Madison, Wisconsin.
Police arrived on scene at 11am on the dot – and by 11:05am, they had found the shooter injured, and recovered the weapon.
Two of the six injured are still in critical condition
Two people who were shot in Monday’s school shooting are still in hospital fighting for their lives.
Their conditions were described as critical.
They are both students, police confirmed.
Madison Police Chief dismisses speculation over shooter’s gender
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes says it was not clear if Abundant Life Church School shooter Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow was transgender and that it does not matter.
Barnes slammed speculation over Rupnow’s gender on social media after he was asked about it.
‘I don’t know whether Natalie was transgender or not. And quite frankly, I don’t think that’s important at all,’ he said.
‘I don’t think whatever happened today has anything to do with how she or he or they may want to identify.’
He added that it didn’t really matter for the time being and that it was ‘just not helping.’
‘For what we’re doing right now, today, literally eight hours after a mass shooting in a school in Madison, it is of no consequence at this time (what gender the shooter was),’ he said.
Unclear if Rupnow’s family were gun owners
It is not yet confirmed if Rupnow’s family – who are cooperating with the investigation – were gun owners. They are currently looking into anything she may have left behind.
Barnes said they’re currently speaking with the shooter’s father at one of their facilities and that he’s cooperating.
Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow died in the ambulance on way to hospital after shooting herself
Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow, the Madison, Wisconsin school shooter, died on the way to hospital, police said.
She turned the deadly weapon on herself after gunning down multiple students inside the school on Monday morning.
Two people – one student, one teacher – have died, and two others are in critical condition.
Originally published in Daily Mail (UK)