Natalie Rupnow joined a shooting range just months before the 15-year-old fatally shot a teacher and fellow student at a school in Madison, Wisconsin, according to her father.
Jeff Rupnow posted a photograph of his teen daughter shooting skeet on Facebook in August. He wrote in a comment that the pair had joined in spring and had been “loving… every second of it”.
Rupnow, who also went by the name “Samantha,” wore a shirt emblazoned with the logo of the venerable German electro-industrial band KMFDM. The top is similar to one worn by teenage mass shooter Harris, who in 1999, with classmate Dylan Klebold, fatally shot 15 students at Littleton, Colorado’s Columbine High School.
It comes as Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said during a press conference on Tuesday that Rupnow’s motive for the attack on Abundant Life Christian School may have included a “combination of factors,” after Rupnow shot two people dead and left six others injured before being found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police are now talking to students to determine whether the shooter had been bullied. The teenager had a “turbulent home life,” according to court documents, the Washington Post reported.
Key points
- Natalie Rupnow, 15, identified as Madison shooting suspect
- Shooter in photo wearing shirt similar to one worn by Columbine killer
- Rupnow had ‘turbulent home life’ - court documents
- Teen shooter pictured with shotgun at firing range just months before her deadly rampage
- Watch: Authorities hold briefing on Wisconsin school shooting
Star Wars actor shares heartbreaking headline in response to Wisconsin school shooting
09:15
James Liddell
Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has shared a heartbroken and evergreen headline after the United States was rocked by another school shooting, which has left three people dead.
A 15-year-old girl, who police identified as Natalie Rupnow, killed a teacher and fellow student after opening fire at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. Rupnow was also pronounced dead at the scene, Department Chief Shon Barnes said.
Six others have been left injured, including two left in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. At the time of writing, Rupnow’s motives remain unclear.
Greg Evans has the details.
ICYMI: Natalie Rupnow pictured with shotgun at firing range just months before school shooting
08:46
James Liddell
The father of school shooter Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who killed two people and wounded six others at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, encouraged the 15-year-old to practice her weapons-handling skills in the months leading up to Monday’s bloodshed, according to a review of his online activity.
In August, Jeff Rupnow - who was unable to be reached on Tuesday - posted a photograph on Facebook of what appears to be his shotgun-wielding daughter shooting clay pigeons at a local gun club.
“Is that kiddo?” a friend commented.
“Sure is!!!!” Rupnow replied. “We joined NBSC this spring and we have been loving all [sic] every second of it!”
Justin Rohrlich has the story.
Neighbors of Wisconsin shooter describe the block’s new sadness
08:00
Rhian Lubin
Neighbors told The Independent’s Justin Rohrlich of their sadness after learning the teenage shooter’s identity.
Suzy De Wilde said she and her husband moved in about four years ago and that she regularly saw Natalie Rupnow hanging out in the park next to their property.
“Every day, I wash my dishes and I see that house,” she said. “It’s f*****g crazy that that’s where the shooter lived… Every day, I get to look at that front door now. How do you live with these reminders everywhere?”
For more details, read the full report below.
Watch: Madison mayor tells media it is ‘none of y’all’s business’ who was killed in shooting
07:30
Rhian Lubin
Parents praise ‘tightknit’ school for its ‘welcoming’ environment
07:00
Rhian Lubin
As they reel from Monday’s shooting, parents whose children are enrolled at the Abundant Life Christian School have praised it for fostering a “tightknit” environment.
“We’re all a family, and we all know each other, whether they’re in the same grade or not,” Karl Gottschalk, who has three children enrolled at the school, told the New York Times. “It’s never been a concern that something like this would happen since this is such a small, religious school.”
“It’s a very tightknit community with not only excellent academics, but our love for Jesus and trust in God is the foundation,” Hannah Lease, whose two sons attend the school, told the outlet. “That’s what keeps us going during this time.”
Nick Cardarella, whose wife works at the school, added: “It’s come as you are. There is that religious element, but they’re not pushy in any kind of way.”
“It’s starting to be a big school, but we feel very connected,” Michelet Jean-Charles, who moved to Wisconsin from Haiti, said. “We feel that we can trust everyone at the school — the kids, their parents. We give hugs, we shake hands.”
Natalie Rupnow joins a rare subset of school shooters - women
06:30
Rhian Lubin
Following her attack on the Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin, Natalie Rupnow has joined a rare subset of school shooters: women.
The 15-year-old, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on Monday morning, is one of the few female perpetrators of school shootings in recent decades after a teacher and student were gunned down in the attack on the Madison school.
Gunmen commit the overwhelming majority of such attacks and, including the Madison shooting, just nine female students have carried out a school shooting since 1999, according to a Washington Post database.
Data from advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety finds that women constitute less than five percent of assailants across 544 school shooting incidents over the past 11 years.
Josh Marcus and James Liddell report.
Watch: Moment six-grader’s mom breaks down in tears after family is reunited
06:00
Rhian Lubin
Shooting in Madison is the latest carnage at a US school or college over the past 25 years
05:30
AP
Hundreds of people in the U.S. have died in shootings over the past 25 years in places like offices, stores and theaters, but the carnage perhaps hits hardest when it happens in schools and colleges.
In those cases, the victims are children who still have some of their baby teeth, newly adult students with career and family dreams, and teachers who often become role models and mentors to their young students.
Monday’s shooting at the Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, was the latest in a long list of those taking place at American schools and colleges since the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre in Colorado.
Read more below.
Neighbor who has known teen shooter since she was young shares his shock
05:00
Rhian Lubin
Another neighbor who said he has known Natalie Rupnow since she was young said the news “shocked the living hell” out of him.
“Well, I haven’t seen her a lot close up in the last year, but she was always nice. She was always talkative, and I always thought she was a great little kid,” Art Zogbaum told Fox6 News.
When asked if she ever seemed like the kind of person who would do something like this, he replied: “No. Shocked the living hell out of me.”
New: Court documents show teen shooter’s parents had ‘turbulent home life’
04:30
Rhian Lubin
Court documents show that the teenage Abundant Life Christian School shooter had a “turbulent home life,” according to the Washington Post.
Natalie Rupnow’s parents, Melissa and Jeff Rupnow, reportedly divorced and remarried multiple times. Their daughter enrolled in therapy to guide her through their custody arrangements, according to the newspaper.
The paper reported that the documents point “to an unsettled childhood for Rupnow, whose parents’ custody agreements sometimes forced her to move between their homes every two or three days.”
They reportedly divorced for the first time in 2014 and agreed to joint legal custody of their daughter. It was agreed that she would primarily live with her mother.
They remarried in 2017 and divorced for a second time in 2020. They were to divide custody of Natalie evenly, the court records reportedly show.
After they split up for the second time, they briefly remarried again. By April 2021, they were petitioning for a third divorce, the Post reports.
The Post was unable to reach Melissa Rupnow or Jeff Rupnow, who are both reported to be cooperating with police.
Therapy dogs bring comfort to candlelit vigil
04:00
Rhian Lubin
Therapy dogs are in attendance at the vigil for the victims of the Abundant Life Christian School.
NewsNation’s Mills Hays shared a video of children and families petting the golden retrievers outside the state capital this evening at the vigil.
Therapy dogs at the vigil for the victims of the Abundant Life Christian Church School shooting in downtown Madison, Wisconsin.
— Mills Hayes (@MillsHayesTV) December 18, 2024
December 17, 2024. pic.twitter.com/0SDo6gQHvT
Has a motive been identified?
03:30
Rhian Lubin
At a press conference on Tuesday, Madison police chief Shon Barnes said that the motive behind the shooting appeared to have been a “combination of factors” that may have included bullying.
“Identifying a motive is our top priority, but at this time, it appears that the motive was a combination of factors,” he told reporters. “We cannot share that information at this time because we do not want to jeopardize the investigation and those who are currently cooperating with us.”
Barnes added that police were talking to students about whether bullying may have been a factor in the shooting.
Police said previously they do not know whether the shooting had a specific target.
Barnes also added that investigators were looking into Rupnow’s social media accounts. He said police were aware of a document being circulated on social media that had been referred to as a “manifesto,” but added that officials had not been able to verify its authenticity.
“We have detectives working today to determine where this document originated, and who actually shared it online,” he said.
In pictures: Madison attends a candlelight vigil
03:00
Rhian Lubin
The community in Madison has gathered to attend a candlelight vigil tonight in memory of the victims and in support of the injured following Monday’s shooting.
What kind of weapon was used in the shooting?
02:30
Mike Bedigan
A handgun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, Barnes said. Officials are working to trace the source of the weapon.
Police do not yet know how Rupnow obtained the weapon. No update was given on the weapon at Tuesday’s press conference.
Teenager pictured wearing shirt similar to one worn by Columbine killer
02:00
Justin Rohrlich
In the photo on her father’s Facebook page, Natalie Rupnow is wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the venerable German electro-industrial band KMFDM.
The top is similar to ones worn by teenage mass shooter Eric Harris, who in 1999, with classmate Dylan Klebold, shot and killed 15 students at Littleton, Colorado’s Columbine High School.
After the Columbine massacre, the members of KMFDM — which stands for Kein Mehrheit für die Mitleid, which translates to “No Pity for the Majority” — condemned the bloodshed, calling themselves “sick and appalled” by what had happened.
“From the beginning, our music has been a statement against war, oppression, fascism and violence against others,” the band announced, before making reference to the fact that the Columbine shooting took place on April 20th, the same day the band’s latest album was released — which also happened to be the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birthday.
“[N]one of us condone any Nazi beliefs whatsoever,” the announcement said.
Staff at Madison school are ‘shocked as anyone would be’ by shooting
01:30
Mike Bedigan
Laura Lundgren, a teacher at Abundant Life Christian School teacher, told CNN that the community was “shocked as anyone would be” following the shocking events on Monday.
“It’s been really troubling for all of us. We were all shocked as I think anyone would be,” she told the outlet on Tuesday.
“We’re trying to love our kids well. Most of the people who work there also have kids in the building and we’re all really connected. We know each other well. Every student in the high school I know, I’ve had as a student or I have currently right now.
“So I know all the kids that were in that room. We’re piecing together what we can and trying to hold each other well.”
Lundgren added that the mothers of the injured were “prayer warriors and they are praying hard for their kids.”
NEW: 15-year-old shooter pictured with shotgun at firing range just months before her deadly rampage
01:06
Rhian Lubin
The father of school shooter Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who killed two people and wounded six others at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, encouraged the 15-year-old to practice her weapons-handling skills in the months leading up to Monday’s bloodshed, according to a review of his online activity.
In August, Jeff Rupnow - who was unable to be reached on Tuesday - posted a photograph on Facebook of what appears to be his shotgun-wielding daughter shooting clay pigeons at a local gun club.
“Is that kiddo?” a friend commented.
“Sure is!!!!” Rupnow, the father of one, replied. “We joined NBSC this spring and we have been loving all [sic] every second of it!”
Justin Rohrlich reports.
Recap: What we know about the deadly shooting in Madison, Wisconsin
01:00
Mike Bedigan
A 15-year-old student killed two people, injured six others, and died in a shooting at a private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin, police said Monday.
The shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m. A teacher, student and shooter were found dead at the school.
Though the victims are still to be named officially, here’s what we know so far:
In pictures: Madison officials provide updates on Tuesday
00:30
Mike Bedigan
Madison teacher reportedly stood between students and door with scissors during shooting
00:00
Mike Bedigan
As the deadly shooting was taking place at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday one teacher took a defiant stand to protect the students.
Kellen Lewis, who has four children, said that the incident had taken place close to where his third-grade son was attending class.
“My third grade son mentioned that his teacher stood between the door and where the kids were hiding with scissors,” ready to defend the children in the classroom, Lewis told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Lewis said his four children range in age from 4 to 12 and the older ones understood what had happened and are not afraid to go back to Abundant Life Christian School.
Watch: Wisconsin Police Department offer condolences to victim’s families after school shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 23:40
Mike Bedigan
Were the victims of the shooting targeted?
Tuesday 17 December 2024 23:20
Mike Bedigan
At a press conference on Tuesday, Madison police chief Shon Barnes did not confirm if there had been a specific connection between the victims and the suspected shooter, or whether they had been specifically targeted in the attack.
“Everyone was targeted in this incident and everyone was put in equal danger today,” he said.
Police chief hails ‘incredible demonstration of support’ from county and state
Tuesday 17 December 2024 23:00
Mike Bedigan
At Tuesday’s press conference, Madison police chief Shon Barnes hailed the “incredible demonstration of support” following the shooting on Monday.
“The past 24 hours have been a flurry of emotion, sadness, anger, disappointment, grief for the Madison community,” he said. “We're brought together by a tragedy, and today, three families woke up this morning to a world without a loved one, and that can never be undone.”
he added: “In the midst of this tragedy, our community has come together in an incredible demonstration of support from Madison and indeed the state of Wisconsin and our nation. I cannot express enough gratitude to the many emergency response agencies who provided direct support to the Madison Police Department.”
In pictures: Locals leave tributes outside school following shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 22:40
Mike Bedigan
Children going to school on Tuesday was an ‘act of bravery’ says Wisconsin official
Tuesday 17 December 2024 22:20
Mike Bedigan
Melissa Agard, a Dane County Executive, praised both students and school staff in the district and nationwide for going to school a day after the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin.
“Kids, my kids, teachers across our community and in fact across our nation had to wake up and go to school today and that was an act of bravery,” Agard said at press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
“Parents dropping their children off after what we witnessed yesterday took an act of bravery and a belief in our community. And that’s a bravery we should not have to put on the shoulders of our children and our families and out community.”
She added: “Right now it’s OK to not feel OK.”
What to know about the Madison school shooting victims
Tuesday 17 December 2024 22:00
Mike Bedigan
A student and a teacher were killed during the deadly shooting that occurred at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin.
Police were yet to officially name the two ahead of a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Here’s what we do know about the victims so far:
Madison shooting is 83rd of 2024, setting record for last two decades
Tuesday 17 December 2024 21:40
Mike Bedigan
The shooting on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin, is the 83rd school shooting this year.
2024 has been the year with the most school shootings since 2008, according a CNN database.
Watch: Madison mayor says it is ‘none of y’all’s business’ who was killed in shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 21:20
Mike Bedigan
Shooting is Madison’s second in seven months
Tuesday 17 December 2024 21:00
Mike Bedigan
The incident today in Madison is the area’s second major mass shooting in seven months.
This summer, 12 people were wounded in a shooting at a rooftop party.
Not enough information to determine if parents of shooter will be charged
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:45
Mike Bedigan
The mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, said that is “far too early” to comment on if the parents of the teen shooter at Abundant Life Christian School will face criminal charges.
“We don’t know nearly enough yet,” Satya Rhodes-Conway said at a press conference on Tuesday.
She added that she thinks law enforcement will “take the steps necessary” as the investigation unfolds.
Watch: Wisconsin Police Department offer condolences to victim’s families after school shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:20
Mike Bedigan
Madison mayor tells media it is ‘absolutely none of y’all’s business’ who was harmed in shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 20:10
Mike Bedigan
The mayor of Madison appeared to become frustrated at members of the media at a press conference on Tuesday, telling reporters it was “absolutely none of y’all’s business who was harmed in this incident.”
Satya Rhodes-Conway urged members of the press to have “human decency and respect” for those involved, when asked a question on why little information had been shared so far.
The suspected teenage shooter has been named as Natalie Rupnow, but the victims – a student and a member of staff – have not.
Asked why there had not been answers to some media questions, Rhodes-Conway replied: “Right, I'm going to say this, and then we're done.
“It is absolutely none of y'all business who was harmed in this incident – please have some human decency and respect for the people who lost loved ones or were injured themselves or whose children were injured, just have some human decency, folks.
“Leave them alone. Let them grieve, let them recover, let them heal. Don't feed off their pain. We'll share what we can when we can, and not before that, thank you.”
Watch: Wisconsin Police Chief clarifies shooting 911 call was made by a second grade teacher
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:55
Mike Bedigan
Schools in the district were ‘swatted’ on Tuesday, says Madison police chief
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:45
Mike Bedigan
Several Madison Metropolitan School District schools were swatted Tuesday, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a press conference.
“Today numerous MMSD schools were targeted by false threats often known as swatting. We’re working closely with the Madison Metropolitan School District to determine where these originated and to investigate this call,” he said.
“We do not believe that there are any current threats to any Madison-area schools and will continue to investigate these calls and any threats of violence as they come in.”
Swatting is the act of making a hoax call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.
School shooter’s social media accounts being examined by police
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:40
Mike Bedigan
Officials are looking at the online activity of Natalie Rupnow – the teenage suspect in Monday’s shooting – as part of their investigation, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
“We’re asking anyone who knew her or who may have insights into her feelings leading up to yesterday to please contact the Madison Area Crime Stoppers,” he said at a press conference on Tuesday.
Barnes added that investigators will “not be releasing specifics about these social media accounts at this time.”
Madison police aware of document shared online about shooting but cannot verify ‘authenticity’
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:35
Mike Bedigan
Barnes said the Madison police department was aware of a document shared on social media about Monday’s shooting, but that the force could not verify its authenticity.
“We know a document has been widely shared on social media. At this time we cannot verify its authenticity,” Barnes told a press conference on Tuesday. “We have detectives working today to determine where this document originated, and who actually shared it online.”
Motive of Madison school shooter was ‘a combination of factors’
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:30
Mike Bedigan
Police chief Shon Barnes said that the motive behind the school shooting on Monday appeared to have been a “combination of factors” that may have included bullying.
“Identifying a motive is our top priority, but at this time, it appears that the motive was a combination of factors,” he told a press conference on Tuesday. “We cannot share that information at this time because we do not want to jeopardize the investigation and those who are currently cooperating with us.”
Barnes added that police were talking to students about whether bullying may have been a factor in the shooting.
Madison police chief apologizes for mistake over information about 911 call
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:23
Mike Bedigan
At a press conference update on Tuesday, Madison police chief Shon Barnes made a clarification about the 911 call following the outbreak of the violence in the school.
The call had come from a second grade teacher at the scool, not a second grader, Barnes said.
“That was a mistake. That’s my responsibility, and I apologize and I clarify that today, it did not come from a second grader. It read second grade teacher,” he said.
Watch live: Authorities hold briefing on Wisconsin school shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:16
Mike Bedigan
Madison police to hold press conference shortly
Tuesday 17 December 2024 19:00
Mike Bedigan
Officials from Madison Police Department will shortly give an update on the investigation into Monday’s school shooting.
The names of the two victims – which were confirmed to be a student and teacher at the Abundant Life Christian School – have yet to be released.
Stay tuned for further live updates from The Independent.
What to know about the Wisconsin school shooting victims
Tuesday 17 December 2024 18:45
Mike Bedigan
A student and a teacher were killed during the deadly shooting that occurred at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday in Madison, Wisconsin.
Police were yet to officially name the two ahead of a press conference on Tuesday.
Here’s what we know so far:
Watch: Little girl reveals horror inside Wisconsin school during shooting
Tuesday 17 December 2024 18:30
Mike Bedigan
Biden calls Madison school shooting ‘shocking and unconscionable’
Tuesday 17 December 2024 18:10
Mike Bedigan
Today, families in Madison, Wisconsin are grieving the loss of those who were killed and wounded at Abundant Life Christian School.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 16, 2024
It’s shocking and unconscionable.
We need Congress to act. Now.
Harris calls on elected leaders to fight against gun violence
Tuesday 17 December 2024 17:50
Mike Bedigan
Vice President Kamala Harris has called for elected leaders to “do the right thing” and step up their efforts to tackle gun violence in schools.
During remarks to young leaders in Maryland on Tuesday, Harris addressed the tragedy in Madison, Wisconsin.
“It’s another school shooting, another community being torn apart and hurt by gun violence. And of course, our nation mourns for those who were killed, and we pray for the recovery of those who are injured and for the entire community,” she said.
“But look as we hold our loved ones close this holiday season, we as a nation must renew our commitment to end the horror of gun violence.”
She continued: “We must end it and we must be committed to have the courage to know that solutions are in hand, but we need elected leaders to have the courage to step up and do the right thing.”
In an official statement posted on X on Monday following the shooting, she said that she and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff were “praying for all those who were injured.”
Today, senseless gun violence has once again visited our classrooms.
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) December 17, 2024
Doug and I are mourning the student and teacher who were killed in Madison, Wisconsin, and we are praying for all those who were injured.
We must resolve to do everything in our power to end this epidemic. pic.twitter.com/KyqfR6E1mG