The FBI has announced that they are investigating a “manifesto” linked to the suspected Wisconsin shooter Natalie Rupnow.
A deadly shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin at around 11AM on Monday (December 16).
According to CNN, a teacher and a student sadly lost their lives, leaving many residents and students in shock and mourning. Six other people were left injured, including two who may have life-threatening injuries.
Police have identified Rupnow, who went by the name Samantha – as the perpetrator of the heartbreaking attack.
The 15-year-old was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when officers arrived and died en route to the hospital.
The motive behind the horrific attack remains unclear. However, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes confirmed that law enforcement is investigating a “manifesto” allegedly written by the suspect and shared online by a person “alleged to have a connection with the [suspect]”.
“We haven’t been able to verify that it’s authentic,” he reportedly said, adding that cops have not located the person who made the post but have shared information with the FBI which will look into the document.
The six-page document titled “War against Humanity” was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by an unverified user claiming to have received it from the suspected shooter’s boyfriend, per Telegraph. The author was listed as Samantha Rupnow.
Authorities are examining the alleged shooter’s background, school, family life, and online activity.
Barnes confirmed that the teen’s father is cooperating with the investigation, adding: “He lost someone as well. And so we’re not going to rush the information, we’ll take our time and certainly do our due diligence.”
The police chief also disclosed that the teen’s reasons behind the shooting were “a combination of factors,” but declined to provide further details, saying he didn’t want to jeopardize the investigation.
He shared that cops were speaking to students at the private K-12 school to determine if bullying was one of them. “Some have asked if people were specifically targeted. Everyone was targeted in this incident, and everyone was put in equal danger,” the police added.
In addition to this, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been tracing the origin of the handgun used in the attack.
“We have asked our partners with the ATF to expedite what’s called an ATF trace form to try and determine the origin of that weapon, who purchased it, and how it got from a manufacturer all the way to the hands of a 15-year-old girl,” Barnes told CNN. “These are questions that are going to take some time to answer.”
Abundant Life Christian School has approximately 420 students enrolled in kindergarten through high school. Unlike other schools in the US, it does not have metal detectors, a safety measure implemented in response to the school shootings in recent years.
The recent shooting marks the 83rd incident of its kind in 2024, surpassing the previous record set in 2023. As of now, the US has experienced over 488 mass shootings, per BBC.
President Joe Biden has condemned the “shocking and unconscionable” violence in a statement, which read: “It is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence.”
“We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom,” he continued. “Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.”
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
