Officers from the Madison police department have now identified a 15-year-old girl as the shooter on Monday's fatal school shooting incident in Madison, Wisconsin.
Natalie Rupnow, who also went by "Samantha," allegedly opened fire in a study hall classroom at the Abundant Life Christian School mid-Monday morning. The shooting incident was reported by a second-grade teacher.
The shooting led to the death of three people, including a teenage student and a teacher. No other details about the victims were released. It is unclear if the second-grade teacher who reported the shooting was killed. In addition, Rupnow was also found dead at the school with a gunshot wound.
Six other people were injured---all of whom were students. Two of the victims remain in critical condition and are receiving medical attention after sustaining life-threatening injuries.
Police To Determine Possible Motive of School Shooting
Speaking in a news conference Tuesday, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said they are still working to determine the motive behind the shooting. He added that preliminary investigation showed there was a "combination of factors" that led Rupnow to open fire at Abundant Life, but he declined to share information, according to WKOW.
That said, Barnes also acknowledged that there is a written document or manifesto believed to be written by Rupnow circulating online. He said they are still working to determine whether the 15-year-old girl had indeed authored the document.
Rupnow, who was a student at Abundant Life, appears to have shown interest in online content related to neo-Nazi violence and school shootings. Her Tumblr account also allegedly contained images of guns and other shooters, including Parkland high school shooter Nikolas Cruz, per ABC News.
School Shooting Aftermath
Police investigators found a handgun at the scene but are still working with federal agents to identify where and how Rupnow could have purchased it.
It is unclear whether Rupnow's parents would face criminal charges. Investigators are looking to see if they have been "negligent," but said it currently "does not appear to be the case." The parents are also reportedly cooperating with investigators.
It is rare for a school shooter to be a female, especially a young woman. As of 2024, only nine K-12 school shooting suspects were female. In comparison, there were 249 male shooters identified throughout the year, per the New York Times, citing the K-12 School Shooting Database.
