Madison, WI school shooting suspect previously attended public school in area

2 killed, suspect dead; 6 injured in Christian school shooting
Thursday, December 19, 2024 12:18PM PT
MADISON, Wis. -- The suspect in a mass shooting at a Wisconsin Christian school earlier this week was previously at a public school in the area.

Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow, 15, was previously a Madison Metropolitan School District student, a spokesperson told ABC News Thursday.

"We do not comment on active investigations, but are always cooperative with and supportive of the efforts of the City of Madison Police Department and other law enforcement partners," the spokesperson added.

Rupnow lived in Madison's Sherman Village section, which is roughly 8 miles from Abundant Life Christian School, where she allegedly opened fire Monday, killing two and injuring six.

It is believed she also took her own life.



Divorce records from 2020 that were reviewed by ABC News said that Rupnow would continue attending school "in the Gompers/Black Hawk school district."

Samuel Gompers Elementary School and Black Hawk Middle School are located around the corner from the house owned by Rupnow's father that was searched by law enforcement earlier this week.

Her parents divorced twice.

Police are also still attempting to determine whether an online declaration in her name was actually written by her.

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But, so far, they have not announced a motive, only suggesting there could be a blend of motives.



A six-page proclamation that has been circulating on social media since immediately after the deadly attack on Monday would seem to answer many questions about motive and the teenager's underlying emotional struggles, if it is legitimate.

There continue to be questions about the authenticity of the pronouncement, and police are less than certain.

"We know a document has been widely shared on social media. At this time, we cannot verify its authenticity. We have detectives working today to determine where this document originated and who actually shared it online. At this time, we cannot verify the document. We ask that you not share the document or spread any information that may be false," police said.

Some photos are verified. One was first reported Tuesday by the ABC7 Chicago I-Team, showing the teenager skeet shooting at a Madison-area gun club the family had recently joined.



Experts point to the T-shirt worn by the teen, featuring a band idolized by the Columbine shooters in 1999.

"If we find that this T-shirt is an expression of an interest in, and maybe research of those school shooters, that tells us a lot about what she was thinking," said Andrew McCabe, a CNN senior law enforcement analyst and former deputy director of the FBI.

"That could have been how she felt about being in a new school, her own self-image, it's very likely that she was going through depression," said Mary Ellen O'Toole, a former FBI senior profiler and special agent.

Divorce court records obtained by the I-Team reveal a "turbulent home life," with multiple parental divorces and marriages, therapy and shifting custody arrangements.

Police investigating WI school shooting suspect 'turbulent home life'


Even as investigators analyze potential evidence found in the home where Rupnow lived with her father, Chicago and suburban law enforcement official and ABC7 police affairs consultant Bill Kushner says that it is possible someone else could be charged for providing the handgun to a 15-year-old, a crime in Wisconsin.



"She didn't buy the handgun on her own," Kushner said. "The gun belongs to someone, so there is technically someone to prosecute."

ABC News contributed to this report.
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