MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A 15-year-old student opened fire inside a study hall at a small Christian school in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and teenager and prompting a swarm of police officers responding to a second grader’s 911 call.

The female student wounded six others in Monday’s shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. A teacher and three students were taken to a hospital with less serious injuries, and two of them were later released.

“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. … We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said.

Police said the shooter, identified as Natalie Rupnow, was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound when officers arrived and died en route to a hospital. Barnes declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.

Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school — prekindergarten through high school — with approximately 420 students in Madison, the state capital.

Barbara Wiers, the school’s director of elementary and school relations, said when they practice safety routines, leaders always announce that it’s a drill. That didn’t happen Monday, just a week before Christmas break.

“When they heard, ‘Lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.

Wiers said the school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures including cameras.

A motive for the shooting was not immediately known, nor was it clear if the victims were targeted, Barnes said.

“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.

Barnes said police were talking with the shooter’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching the shooter’s home.

“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of the shooter’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”

The first 911 call to report an active shooter came in shortly before 11 a.m. First responders who were in training just 3 miles (about 5 kilometers) away dashed to the school for an actual emergency, Barnes said. They arrived three minutes after the initial call.

Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Police blocked off roads around the school, and federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement. No shots were fired by police.

Children and families were reunited at a health clinic about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the school. Parents pressed children against their chests while others squeezed hands and shoulders as they walked side by side.

Abundant Life asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post. Wiers said they’re still deciding whether they will resume classes this week.

Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school and learned over FaceTime that her daughter was OK.

“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters,” Highman said. “There’s nobody around you. You just bolt for the door and try to do everything you can as a parent to be with your kids.”

In a statement, President Joe Biden cited the tragedy in calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and certain gun restrictions.

“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said. He spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and offered his support.

Evers said it’s “unthinkable” that a child or teacher would go to school and never return home.

The school shooting was the latest among dozens across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.

The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms. But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.

Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.

Rhodes-Conway said the country needs to do more to prevent gun violence.

“I hoped that this day would never come to Madison,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Ed White, Josh Funk and Hallie Golden and photographer Morry Gash contributed to this report.

DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit police shut down a Mobil gas station near McNichols Road and the Lodge Freeway on Monday after a clerk allegedly shot at a suspected shoplifter. A similar incident happened at the gas station in 2023.

“Earlier last week, we had an incident where the clerk left behind the glass for what appears to be suspecting someone of shoplifting, started shooting indiscriminately outside here on the public streets putting this community in danger. That is not OK,” Deputy Chief Franklin Hayes said. “We demand accountability. There is a responsibility for business owners as well as their staff to treat the community with dignity and second of all, firearms and shooting at someone on an open street like this, that is not OK.”

The incident happened on Wednesday, Dec. 11.

The family of 38-year-old Tony Williams says because of the shooting, he was fleeing the clerk and jumped onto the Lodge to escape. He died from his injuries.

“It didn’t have to happen at all,” said Tuan Williams, the brother of the Tony.

The family called for the gas station to be shut down Sunday, chanting “shut it down” inside after holding a vigil.

“We wanted justice to be serve and justice is being served. I’m thankful for that,” Tuan Williams said.

Hayes was joined by council members, members of the Board of Police of Commissioners and community violence intervention partners. They hope the closure of the business sets a tone across the city.

“At this point, we consider this business very dangerous,” Hayes said.

It’s not the first time the gas station has been shut down.

It was shut down in 2023 for operating without a license after a triple shooting that claimed the life of a man and injured two others. A clerk locked the doors and the victims were locked inside as he argued over a theft police say totaled about $3.

“We are committed to making sure that this does not happen again,” Hayes said.

Related video: Court throws out manslaughter charge against clerk in Detroit gas station shooting

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Police say they are looking at video evidence and still investigating the cause of Tony Williams’ death.

“It’s gonna be a major part of this healing process. We’re gonna take it one step at a time, one day at a time, stay strong as possible. I’m thankful justice is being served. One step and we’re going to continue to stand moving forward,” said Tuan Williams.

MILWAUKEE – Three people died in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, on Monday, Dec. 16, including the shooter.

The suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, is one of the three that died. The other two deceased are a teacher and a teenage student.

A second-grader called 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report the shooting.

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The Milwaukee Police Association president said officers are thinking of all of those impacted by the shooting. Alexander Ayala explained Milwaukee has one of the best training programs in the country for active shooter situations. He said they are trained to sacrifice their own lives to stop a threat.

He also noted in his experience and training, it is not common for a female to be the shooter.

The tragedy comes as things are still at a standstill when it comes to getting school resource officers into Milwaukee Public Schools. Back in September, MPS said it hoped to start the program as soon as officers are available. 

But, the city attorney said there are still unresolved issues.

“Even though we don’t have SRO’s in place currently, the public should have full confidence in the Milwaukee Police Department and the members of the police association that they are going to respond quickly and stop whatever threat needs to be stopped,” Ayala said.

The group Moms Demand Action is pushing for stricter gun laws in Wisconsin, specifically for secure gun storage laws, which would require gun owners to store their firearms locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition.

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MPS provided the following statement:

“Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) remains ready to implement a School Resource Officer (SRO) program as soon as officers are available. As MPS does not employ, hire, or train City of Milwaukee police officers, the district is waiting for the city to provide resources for the program. 

The district remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and staff.”

“I think that’s a crucial part to take away from this – that a SRO is going to know the schools better than an officer responding from across the city to an incident like this,” Ayala said.

Security response

Security consultant Brian Dorow discussed the shooting and preventing future similar incidents.