Madison school shooting: Teen suspect had 2 guns, police say

MADISON, Wis. - Madison police said the teen suspected of killing a student and teacher brought two guns into Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.

Investigators have also learned the suspect – 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow – was in contact with a man in California who, according to The Associated Press, was planning an attack on a government building.

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Two handguns

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 for the shooting, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.

Abundant Life Christian School, Madison

"I do not know if she planned it that day or if she planned it a week prior," Barnes said. "To me, bringing a gun to school to hurt people is planning. And so we don’t know what the premeditation is."

While Rupnow had two handguns, Barnes said he does not know how she obtained them, and he declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Follow the latest from FOX6 News on the Madison school shooting

No decisions have been made about whether Rupnow's parents might be charged in relation to the shooting, but they have been cooperating, Barnes said.

Online court records show no criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. They are divorced and shared custody of their daughter, but she primarily lived with her father, according to court documents. Divorce records indicate that Natalie was in therapy in 2022, but don’t say why.

California connection

A California judge issued a restraining order Tuesday under California’s gun red flag law against a 20-year-old Carlsbad man. The order requires the man to turn his guns and ammunition into police within 48 hours unless an officer asks for them sooner because he poses an immediate danger to himself and others.

According to the order, the man told FBI agents that he had been messaging Rupnow, the Wisconsin shooter, about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives. The order doesn't say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack. It also doesn't detail his interactions with Rupnow except to state that the man was plotting a mass shooting with her.

Memorial outside Abundant Life Christian School, Madison

Victims identified

The medical examiner's office has identified 14-year-old student Rubi Vergara and 42-year-old staff member Erin West. Rupnow died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Abundant Life Christian School's communication director, Barbara Wiers, said in a statement Wednesday that Vergara had attended the school since kindergarten. West worked as a substitute teacher for three years before accepting a position as the school's substitute coordinator and an in-building substitute teacher.

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Four other people were wounded; two remain in critical condition, while two have been released from the hospital.

Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school that offers prekindergarten classes through high school. About 420 students attend the institution.

How to help

While the community tries to heal, United Way of Dane County has created a fund to help the school and families recover. President and CEO Renee Moe said it has raised more than $65,000 so far.

"The children and educators, they saw things they never should’ve seen. They lost lives," she said.

If you wish to support the families, you can donate through a site set up by the United Way of Dane County. You can visit the organization's website or text Help4ALCS to 40403.