Wisconsin faculty capturing: What we all know in regards to the shooter who killed a minimum of two in Madison
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An unidentified juvenile shooter has killed at least two people and injured six others at a private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin.
The shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m.
The suspected shooter is believed to be a “juvenile” student at the school who died by suicide, Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes said on Monday afternoon.
At least six people have been taken to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
“I’m asking everyone to send your heartfelt wishes and prayers, and thoughts, yet again, to a community — but this time it’s my community,” Barnes told reporters.
There is no longer a threat to the area, officials said.
Who is the suspected shooter?
Police have yet to reveal the suspected “juvenile” shooter’s name, exact age or any other identifying details.
The suspected shooter was reportedly a 17-year-old female student at the school, an unnamed law enforcement source told The Associated Press.
“I cannot at this time formally tell you the age or gender or name of the shooter,” Barnes said, despite unconfirmed media reports the suspected shooter was a female student at the school. “We do not want to compromise any part of the investigation.”
Did the suspected shooter attend the school?
Chief Barnes revealed the suspected shooter is believed to have attended Abundant Life Christian School.
The police official said it appeared the shooter was at the school the morning of the shooting, rather than breaking in.
“We believe the shooter was at school,” he said on Monday. “We have no information that there was some kind of breach at the school.”
The private school, founded in 1978, has roughly 400 students. The school’s website describes it as “a community Christian school with the vision of providing academic excellence in a Christ-centered environment for families in the greater Dane County area.”
Who are the victims?
Officials said the victims were a student and a teacher at the school, though police have yet to release further identifying details about those killed and wounded on Monday.
Of the six people injured in the shooting, two are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, and four sustained non-life-threatening wounds, Barnes added.
Two of the four who sustained lesser injuries have been released from the hospital, Barnes said later on Monday.
What kind of weapon was used in the shooting?
A handgun was recovered at the scene of the shooting, Barnes said. Officials are working to trace the source of the weapon.
Has a motive been identified?
Police do not know whether the shooting had a specific target or motive.
“Whether they were targeted or not would speak to motivation and we don’t know that answer just yet,” Barnes said on Monday.
How is the community reacting?
The shooting hit a community that’s already seen mass gun violence this year, after a dozen people were wounded over the summer in a shooting at a rooftop party in Madison.
Madison Mayor Satya-Rhodes Conway said on Monday the incident was “an incredibly sad day for our community” and a reminder of the need for reform to stop gun violence.
“I am on record that I think we need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence,” she said at a press conference. “And I hoped that this day would never come in Madison.”
Wisconsin congressman Representative Mark Pocan had a similar message after the shooting.
“Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids. More ACTION is needed by our elected officials. And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers,” he wrote on X. “This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn’t have to happen.”
“We have to use our resources when we see things that may being going wrong or someone who may be going off the beaten path. That’s the charge really to our country now, and we have to do a better job of taking care of each other,” Barnes said on Monday. “All children have been reunited with their parents. The children are now the latest group of survivors of a school shooting.”
Local residents were shocked by the shooting.
“I didn’t want to believe it. First I thought it was an accident,” Gary Herrmann, who lives nearby, told WMTV. “And then when I heard shooter, that’s when it really hit me.”
A vigil is planned tomorrow at the Wisconsin State Capitol building in Madison.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org.
Source: independent.co.uk
