More details are emerging about the 15-year-old girl who police say killed a teacher and teen student in a shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, with school officials revealing she was in her first semester at the school and that the terrifying attack lasted eight minutes.
Police say Natalie Rupnow opened fire inside a study hall inside Abundant Life Christian School (ALCS) just before 11 a.m., killing a fellow student and a teacher, while six people were injured, including two students with life-threatening injuries. A motive for the slayings is unknown, with Rupnow taking her own life during the incident.
Barbara Wiers, the school’s director for elementary and communications, said Rupnow was a new student at the school and that teachers had no significant concerns about her.
Wiers added that the attack lasted eight minutes — shorter than the school’s regular snack break. She said the community’s faith and connection to one another has sustained them as they struggle with the possibility that the shooter’s motive might remain undetermined.
Police say they received a 911 call at 10:57 a.m., and the first law enforcement officer entered the building at 11 a.m.
“Are we broken right now? Yes. Are we bruised and battered? Yes,” Wiers told The Associated Press. “But we will laugh again, and He will turn our mourning into joy again. And we will go on.”
The news comes amid revelations that Rupnow was in contact with a 20-year-old man in California, whom authorities say was plotting a mass shooting with her.
The Carlsbad man, according to a restraining order obtained by the AP, told FBI agents that he had been messaging Rupnow about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives. The order does not say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack. It also does not detail his interactions with Rupnow.
Police in Madison say that discovering a motive for the killings is still a top priority and that there is nothing to suggest the suspect’s gender played a factor.
Police, with the assistance of the FBI, were scouring online records and other resources and speaking with the shooter’s parents and classmates in an attempt to determine a motive, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday.
Police say they are aware of a document and possible images of the shooter being shared online but cannot verify its authenticity, nor can they confirm any social media accounts potentially belonging to the student due to the ongoing investigation.
“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said on Tuesday. “We may never know what she was thinking that day, but we’ll do our best to try to add or give as much information to our public as possible.”
The shooter brought two guns to the school, and it is unclear how she obtained the weapons. Only one gun, however, was allegedly used by Rupnow.
Rupnow’s deceased victims, 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin M. West, will be laid to rest over the coming days.
Vergara’s funeral is set for Saturday at City Church, which is adjacent to the school, and West’s funeral is Monday at Doxa Church in Madison, where she was a member, according to obituaries published Wednesday and Thursday.
Vergara was a freshman at ALCS, according to her obituary.
“She was an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band. She shared a special bond with her beloved pets, Ginger (cat) and Coco (dog),” the obituary reads.
West leaves behind a husband and three daughters. She worked at the school for the last four years. The first three of those were as a substitute teacher before she accepted a staff position as the sub coordinator and in-building substitute teacher.
Four of the six who were injured have been discharged from the hospital, officials said. The two students with life-threatening injuries remain hospitalized.
“Erin enjoyed family camping trips, attending school sporting events, serving at Doxa Church, and spending time with her daughters and the rest of her family,” her obituary reads.
“ALCS is a better school for the work of Erin West,” the school said in a statement.
“She served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom, and — most importantly — with the love of Jesus,” the school said. “Her loss is a painful and deep one and she will be greatly missed not just among our staff, but our entire ALCS family.”
Fox News’ Stepheny Price, Greg Wehner, Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
