Midwest

Madison, Wisconsin, school shooting leaves 2 dead, 6 injured; juvenile suspect dead

Published

2 years ago

December 17, 2024

Madison, Wisconsin, school shooting leaves 2 dead, 6 injured; juvenile suspect dead

Police identified the shooter who they said opened fire inside a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a teacher and teen student and injuring six others on Monday.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who goes by Samantha, opened fire inside Abundant Life Christian School.

Barnes said the shooting took place during study hall with multiple grades in the room.

Police said evidence suggests the shooter died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Barnes added officials are speaking with Rupnow’s father, who he said is cooperating with police.

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Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where multiple injuries were reported following a shooting on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)

Barnes said a second grade student called 911 to report the shooting.

“At 10:57 a.m., a second grade student called 911 to report a shooting had occurred at school. We’ll let that sink in for a minute… A second grade student call 911 at 10:57 a.m. to report a shooting at the school,” Barnes said.

Barnes added that two students are still in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. A teacher and three other students were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Barnes said two of those individuals have since been released.

The teacher and student that were killed in the shooting have not yet been identified.

Barnes said Rupnow used a handgun in the shooting. He said police have not yet determined a motive for the attack.

“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.

Emergency vehicles are staged outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where multiple injuries were reported following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Barnes said all students were reunified with their parents.

“A lot has gone on today. I can tell you that it’s not over. I can tell you that our officers and our detectives and our investigators will have to be told to go home. No one is thinking about going home right now, and they’re going to still work as long as they can to find as much information as they can,” Barnes said.

“This is going to be a day that will be etched in a collective minds and memories of all those for Madison.”

Barnes said he did not believe that the school, which serves 200 students according to the school’s website, had a resource officer. It was also revealed that the school did not have metal detectors, but did have cameras and other security protocols.

Police said they train for active shooter situations “almost quarterly,” and that they had most recently conducted the training roughly two weeks ago.

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“This is something you prepare for, but that you hope you never have to do,” a police spokesman told reporters. “Today is a sad, sad day.”

President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway following the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School and offered his “continued support to help the impacted community.”

Biden also released a statement and said the events that unfolded in Madison were “shocking and unconscionable.”

“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention – 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. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover,” Biden said.

“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart.”

Biden added that he and the First Lady were “praying for all the victims, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries.”

“We are grateful for the first responders who quickly arrived on the scene, and the FBI is supporting local law enforcement efforts. At my direction, my team has reached out to local officials to offer further support as needed,” Biden said.

Police investigate as emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where multiple injuries were reported following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Vice President Kamala Harris also issued a statement saying “senseless gun violence has once again visited our classrooms as students and teachers in Madison, WI had their last week of school before Christmas break tragically interrupted by a deadly shooting.”

“Doug and I are mourning the student and teacher who were killed and we are praying for all those who were injured, including those who remain hospitalized. We are also thinking of the young people and families who have had their lives forever changed by this act of gun violence,” Harris said.

“And we are sending our gratitude to the educators, members of law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals who quickly and selflessly jumped into action to ensure that even more lives were not lost in this community,” she continued.

MASS SHOOTER’S FAMILY IDENTIFIES MISSED WARNING SIGNS BEFORE MASSACRE LEFT 18 DEAD, VOWS TO RAISE AWARENESS

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., posted a statement on his X account calling the “violence in our culture” disturbing.

“Our hearts go out today to the students and faculty of the Abundant Life Christian School. The violence in our culture is disturbing, and it must be dealt with. We are praying for the families of those who lost their lives and the entire Madison community,” Johnson wrote.

Evers ordered the flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to half-staff across the state immediately until sunset on Sun., Dec. 22, 2024.

“There are no words to describe the devastation and heartbreak we feel today after the school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison this morning,” Evers said in a statement.

“As a father, a grandfather, and as governor, it is unthinkable that a kid or an educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it.”

The school also acknowledged the shooting in a post on Facebook, requesting prayers from the community.

“Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS. We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able. Please pray for our Challenger Family,” the school wrote.

Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where multiple injuries and deaths were reported following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (Google Maps)

A former student of the school, Aaron Nienaber, told Fox News Digital that he attended high school at Abundant Life Christian from 2000 to 2004 and was shocked and saddened to see this happen at a place he cherished.

“It’s very sad to see this happening at a place where I have so many fond memories with the students and faculty, and especially playing on the sports teams. This is not something that anyone would have ever seen coming at this small tight-knit school and community,” Nienaber said.

The FBI’s Milwaukee bureau says it has deployed agents to the scene to assist in investigating.

Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.

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Wisconsin

What’s the Wisconsin wolf population? DNR issues latest estimate.

Published

15 minutes ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

What’s the Wisconsin wolf population? DNR issues latest estimate.

Wisconsin had an estimated 1,162 gray wolves in 321 packs in late winter 2026, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The 2026 population estimate represents a 5% year-over-year decline and is 3% below the 5-year average, a slight fluctuation around a mean that suggest the state’s wolf population has reached its biological carrying capacity, said Lydia Margenau, DNR wildlife research scientist.

The DNR released the information June 25 during a virtual meeting of its Wolf Advisory Committee. Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist, led the meeting. The full 2026 wolf monitoring report is expected to be posted to the DNR’s website in the coming days, Johnson said.

The statistical confidence levels in the 2026 wolf estimate include a population range from 1,026 to 1,307 and a range in packs from 287 to 359.

The estimate does not include wolves not associated with packs or those that have disbursed out of the state’s core wolf range.

Specific to the five Wisconsin wolf management units, Zone 1 in the far north and northwest had 511 wolves, Zone 2 in the northeast had 273, Zone 3 in the northwest had 126, Zone 4 in the northcentral and northeast had 54 and Zone 5 in the central forest zone had 191. Seven other wolves were not attributed to a zone.

The average pack sizes ranged from a low of 2.54 wolves in Zone 4 to a high of 4.34 in Zone 1.

Pack territories were an average of 54 square miles in Zones 1 through 4 but, similar to past years, 32 square miles in Zone 5, likely due to higher prey density in the central forest area, Margenau said.

The DNR produces an annual report on wolves in the state, partly as a requirement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The gray wolf in Wisconsin and most other states has been protected under the federal Endangered Species Act since February 2022.

Since 2020 the DNR has used an occupancy model in its work to produce a wolf population estimate. The model uses inputs from wolf tracking surveys conducted by agency staff, volunteers and others as well as data obtained from GPS-collared wolves.

The GPS collar data helps the scientists determine wolf territory sizes and movements. The DNR obtains location information from the collared animals via satellite.

As of June 2026 there were 45 active GPS collars on wolves in Wisconsin, according to DNR research scientist Danielle Deming, including 15 deployed this year.

For the winter 2025-26 wolf monitoring period, 503 carnivore tracking surveys were conducted across 17,771 miles of roads, according to the DNR. Ninety-seven percent of the blocks received at least three surveys, the minimum recommended.

The work is done in winter when the wolf population is near or at its annual low and when the animals are easiest to track.

Wolf populations typically double after pups are born in spring then drop over the rest of the year due to various sources of mortality, according to wolf researchers.

The gray wolf was native to Wisconsin but after decades of persecution, including poisoning and bounties, the species was considered extirpated from the state by 1960.

Increased protections, including the 1973 Endangered Species Act, helped the carnivore expand from a residual population in northern Minnesota and recolonize Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The Badger State’s wolf population was estimated at 25 in 1980, 34 in 1990, 248 in 2000, 704 in 2010 and 1,034 in 2020, according to DNR reports.

As seen in the recent data, the wolf population has leveled off over the last decade or so as the animals have filled the most suitable habitat in the state, according to biologists.

The slight declines in recent years could be due to mild winter conditions which favor white-tailed deer but are tougher on wolves, Margenau said.

Researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project also documented a recent decline in the wolf population it studies in northern Minnesota in its most recent report.

Wisconsin has held four wolf hunting and trapping seasons in the modern era, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2021.

But no wolf hunting or trapping has occurred since February 2021 due to a successful in-state lawsuit by wolf advocates in October 2021 and a federal district judge’s decision in February 2022 that returned the wolf in Wisconsin and many other states to protections of the federal Endangered Species Act.

Several attempts are being made to delist the wolf. They include: an appeal of the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, legislation that has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; and a rider attached to the fiscal year 2027 Department of Interior appropriations bill.

Confirmed or probable gray wolf depredations on livestock and other domestic animals in Wisconsin decreased in 2025, as did the amount of compensation paid, but were close to 5-year averages, according to DNR reports.

The compensation dropped from $322,970 in 2024 to $200,864 in 2025.

So far in 2026 in Wisconsin there have been 19 verified wolf conflicts and 15 verified wolf depredations on livestock, down from 32 and 22, respectively, in 2025, Johnson said.

There has never been a wolf attack on a human in modern Wisconsin history, according to the DNR.

For more information, visit the DNR’s Wolves in Wisconsin page at dnr.wi.gov.

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Detroit, MI

Scene active as police shoot, kill man on Detroit’s west side

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Scene active as police shoot, kill man on Detroit’s west side

The investigation remains ongoing

DETROIT – An investigation is underway after police shot and killed a man on Detroit’s west side.

The incident occurred on Thursday (June 25) in the 18900 block of Rosemont Avenue and 7 Mile Road, prompting a response from police and emergency crews, who set up a staging area.

Local 4 is heading to the scene and will provide updates as they become available, but the victim’s condition has not been released as of 7:55 p.m.

The Detroit Police Department’s Media Relations team was responding to the scene, and officials said additional information would be provided, including a media briefing with sound available.

Authorities have not released details about what led up to the shooting or the circumstances involving the officer or officers involved.

This is a breaking news story, and updates will be posted as they become available.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee residents demand permanent fixes as city logs record pothole repairs

Published

6 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Press Room

Milwaukee residents demand permanent fixes as city logs record pothole repairs

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee city workers have been working overtime and on weekends to patch potholes in what is shaping up to be a record year for that type of work. But for many residents, the patching is not enough.

The city’s Department of Public Works has received more than 18,000 requests for pothole service so far in 2026. Workers have already filled more than 10,000 potholes this year — right around what the city has averaged annually over the past five years.

Following a winter marked by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and a spring that brought additional weather-related challenges, city officials held a news conference Thursday with an update on the situation.

Raneissa Baker, a driver on Milwaukee’s north side, said her car is currently in the shop with suspension damage she says will cost her $1,100 — the result of the sheer number of potholes she has hit this year, not any single one.

“Streets are horrible, and every time that you hit a pothole, all you hear, doo doo doo doo doo,” Baker said.

Watch: Milwaukee residents demand permanent fixes as city logs record pothole repairs

Milwaukee reports high number of pothole requests

Baker said avoiding the craters is not an option and potentially dangerous depending on traffic.

“It’s impossible to try to avoid it,” Baker said.

At the news conference, TMJ4 asked DPW Commissioner Jerrel Kruschke what his message was for drivers like Baker who have had their cars damaged and spent thousands of dollars on repairs.

“The first thing I tell the public is please pay attention. If you focus on driving ahead of time, a lot of times you can avoid potholes on the roadway. We know they exist. We know it’s frustrating,” Kruschke said. “If you do have some sort of damage to your vehicle, there is a claim system that you can go onto the city website and file a claim.”

Mike Beiermeister

Mike & Raneissa Baker watch the press conference.

Baker pushed back on that response.

“He said to pay attention and try to avoid it. How are we going to be able to avoid it if you’re driving and there’s a car right here, and there’s a pothole right here? How am I going to try to avoid that?” Baker said.

Patrick Housfeld, who lives on South 12th Street, said the problem on his block is nothing new.

“This wasn’t new this year; this has happened for 21 years straight,” Housfeld said.

Housfeld has stopped using 12th Street altogether and believes more craters will soon reemerge after the latest round of patching. He called the work on his block performative.

“Make the problem go away. I don’t care what the numbers were or are,” Housfeld said.

Both Baker and Housfeld want more permanent solutions than pothole patching.

Road reconstruction, however, is expensive — running into the millions of dollars depending on the work required.

“You fill it up with Oreo crumbs today, it’s a bigger sinkhole by tomorrow, it’s not making sense, just repair the roads,” Baker said.

DPW estimates it still has about 5,000 potholes left to patch. The city says it will be all hands on deck until that work is complete.

The department says residents can report potholes or repair concerns through Milwaukee’s Service Request page or by calling the city’s Unified Call Center.

Report here: https://city.milwaukee.gov/ReportPotholes

Call here: 414-286-CITY (2489)

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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