A 15-year-old student at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin brought two guns to school and fatally shot a fellow student and teacher before shooting herself. Two other students were critically injured in the incident, which is still under investigation by the police. Authorities revealed that the shooter had been in contact with a man in California who was planning an attack on a government building.
In California, a 20-year-old man was issued a restraining order under the state’s gun red flag law after discussing plans with the Wisconsin shooter to carry out a mass shooting using guns and explosives. The man was ordered to surrender his weapons to the police within 48 hours due to concerns about his potential danger to himself and others.
The student killed in the school shooting was identified as Rubi Patricia Vergara, a 14-year-old freshman known for her love of reading, art, and music. The teacher who lost her life was initially identified as Michelle E. West but later corrected to Erin Michelle West. The school’s communication director expressed sorrow over the tragic losses.
Authorities are working with the FBI to determine the motive behind the shooting, including examining online records, speaking with the shooter’s family and classmates, and investigating any potential targets or premeditation. While the shooter had two handguns, it remains unclear how she acquired them, and details about the firearms’ purchase are being withheld due to the ongoing investigation.
There may be charges brought in connection to the shooting, but according to Barnes, the individuals involved have been cooperating. Online records from the court do not show any criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. Despite being divorced, they shared custody of their daughter, with court documents indicating that she primarily resided with her father. Divorce records reveal that Natalie was undergoing therapy in 2022, although the specific reasons are not detailed. The recent school shooting in Wisconsin is part of a larger trend of such incidents occurring across the United States in recent years, with notable tragedies in Newtown, Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas. What sets this particular shooting apart is the rarity of school shootings carried out by teenage females in the country, as statistics indicate that the majority of such incidents are perpetuated by males in their teens and twenties, as highlighted by David Riedman, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school offering a comprehensive educational program from prekindergarten through high school. The institution is home to approximately 420 students, providing a faith-based learning environment for its diverse student body.
