Wisconsin college capturing newest: Teenage scholar killed classmate, instructor in rampage
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A teenage student is believed to have opened fire at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin Monday morning, killing a classmate and a teacher, police say.
Police responded to reports of an active shooter at Abundant Life Christian School just before 11 a.m. Monday. When they arrived, multiple people had been shot.
The suspected shooter, a student at the K-12 school, was dead when police arrived, Chief Shon Barnes said at a Monday afternoon press conference.
Two others were also killed: a teenage student and a teacher.
Six other students were injured: two are in critical condition at the hospital with life-threatening injuries and four others are suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.
Police recovered a handgun from the scene.
The suspected shooter’s family is cooperating, the chief said. The motive is still being investigated and the alleged shooter’s cause of death has yet to be determined, the chief said.
Authorities are directing parents and guardians to go to the Dean Clinic 1821 S. Stoughton Road for reunification.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the school shooting, the White House has said. Senior White House officials are in contact with officials in Madison to provide support as needed, according to the White House.
Suspected shooter used a handgun, police say
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter, Chief Barnes said.
A handgun was recovered from the scene, he said.
It’s unclear how many students attend the school but each age group is separated by floor, the police chief said.
Dozens of school shootings that have resulted in injuries or death in 2024 alone, according to analysis
This year alone, there have been 38 school shootings that resulted in injuries or deaths, according to an Education Week analysis.
There have been 220 of these shootings since 2018, the outlet found.
According to K-12 shooting database, which tracks gun-related incidents on school grounds, there have been 323 incidents this year alone.
A student and a teacher were killed along with the teenage suspected shooter: police
The suspected shooter was a teenage student who attended Abundant Life Christian School, Chief Barnes said.
Three people were killed in the tragedy in total: the alleged shooter, another teenage student and a teacher.
Two students are in critical condition at the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Four students are also suffering from non-life-threatening injuries.
Wisconsin Congressman calls for Congress to pass gun safety measures after ALCS shooting
Democratic Rep Mark Pocan, whose district includes Madison, sent his condolences to those impacted by the Abundant Life Christian School shooting and called for Congress to take action to improve gun safety measures.
“Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids,” he wrote on X. “More ACTION is needed by our elected officials. And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers. This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn’t have to happen.”
Schools should be safe spaces without the threat of gun violence, police chief says
When a reporter asked Chief Barnes whether Abundant Life Christian School had metal detectors, he pushed back: “I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors, nor should schools have metal detectors.”
He added: “It’s a school. It’s a safe space.”
‘I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen’
One mother whose children attend Abundant Life Christian School told Fox11 that she and her kids pray every morning that there won’t be a school shooting — and then oen happened.
“I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen,” she told the outlet.
“It’s the world that we live in. But God is good, God is gracious,” she said. Her children are safe.
Three people are deceased — including the alleged shooter — and multiple others are injured after a juvenile is believed to have opened fire at their own school.
The identity of the suspected shooter has not been made public and it’s not immediately clear how many of the victims are children.
WATCH: Police say two killed, shooter dead at Wisconsin Christian school
Who are the victims?
Police have yet to release any details on the two people killed and others injured in the Monday morning shooting.
“I’m not going to give any information about who the victims are, whether they’re students, staff or parents, because we need to make sure that we can notify people,” Barnes told reporters.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers responds to tragedy
“I am closely monitoring the incident at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison,” Evers wrote on X.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond.”
What have police said?
The shooting occurred at the Abundant Life Christian School around 11 a.m. Monday.
The alleged shooter, who is believed to have been a student at the school, died, Madison Police say. Details about the shooter and the victims have not yet been released.
“Today is a sad, sad day — not only for Madison, but for the entire country,” Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a Monday press conference.
“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,” he told reporters.
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Source: independent.co.uk
