By MELISSA KOENIG FOR DAILYMAIL.COM and ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: 05:41 GMT, 6 January 2025 | Updated: 08:36 GMT, 6 January 2025

The babyface California man accused of helping a Wisconsin teenager plan a school shooting that took the lives of a student and a teacher has broken his silence.

Alexander Paffendorf appeared by video in a collared shirt and tie in court on Friday to face the consequences of his actions, without detailing his role in the Abundant Life Christian School shooting on December 16.

He said he was ready for a hearing on whether a restraining order confiscating his guns and ammunition should remain in place, and expressed remorse for his actions.

Police have said Paffendorf admitted to federal agents that he had been messaging school shooter 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives while she carried out the attack at the small Christian school.

Shortly afterwards, neighbors told CBS 8 they saw more than a dozen police cars enter the apartment complex where Paffendorf lives on Tuesday night and saw officers coming out of the building carrying what was described as a ‘black gun box.’

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Paffendorf has not been charged with any wrongdoing, but an attorney for the city of Carlsbad told Judge Devon Lomayesva that he was under criminal investigation.

A detective also told the judge the FBI is expected to conclude its investigation within two to three months – prompting Lomayesva to delay consideration on the restraining order.

He explained that it was in Paffendorf’s best interest to delay the hearing, as he is under criminal investigation but did not have an attorney present.

Alexander Paffendorf appeared by video in a collared shirt and tie in court on Friday to face the consequences of his actions

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He allegedly admitted to agents that he had been messaging 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow (pictured) about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives

The ruling keeps the order to confiscate Paffendorf’s weapons in effect through April 4, as police continue their investigation into the school shooting and Paffendorf’s role.

Authorities have previously said Rupnow entered Abundant Life Christian School with two handguns – but only used one to carry out the attack, which took the lives of 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin Michelle West. 

Police then received a call at 10.57am, and officers arrived just seconds later.

By 11.05, officers found Rupnow wounded as they recovered her weapon. 

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She was later pronounced dead on the way to the hospital as fire department workers cared for at least six other victims, whose injuries ranged from minor to life-threatening.

A motive for the shooting still remains unclear, with police saying they do not know whether anyone was specifically targeted in the attack as some have suggested.

Police, along with the FBI, are now scouring online records and other resources, as well as speaking with the shooter’s parents and classmates in an attempt to determine a motive for the shooting.

Authorities were also seen raiding the Rupnows’ Wisconsin home following the tragedy.

Rupnow shot and killed 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin Michelle West before turning the gun on herself on December 16

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A motive for the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School (pictured) remains unclear

Investigators are trying to determine whether Rupnow’s parents, Jeff and Melissa, had any involvement or contributed to Natalie’s actions.

Online court records show no criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. 

They are divorced and shared custody of their daughter, but she primarily lived with her father, according to court documents. Divorce records indicate that Rupnow was in therapy in 2022, but don’t say why.

Wisconsin landed a commitment from Miami transfer cornerback D’Yoni Hill on Sunday.

Hill recently wrapped up a visit to the program. He chose the Badgers over other reported contenders West Virginia, Missouri, Kansas State and Oklahoma State, and joins the program with one year of eligibility remaining.

Tracking Wisconsin football’s transfer portal offers, visits and commitments

Hill appeared in 11 games (five starts) for Miami in 2024, finishing the campaign with 33 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass deflection. He spent just one year with the Hurricanes after beginning his career at Marshall.

The former class of 2022 recruit excelled as a sophomore with the Thundering Herd in 2023, totaling 55 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and 10 pass deflections. Those tallies aided his jump to the Power Four, which then led to his move to Madison.

Hill is currently listed as a three-star transfer recruit by 247Sports, ranked as the No. 535 overall player in the portal and No. 59 cornerback.

https://twitter.com/DBU_Hill/status/1876019512526725342

Hill fills Wisconsin’s important roster need at boundary cornerback after most of its room departed during the winter transfer window, including rising star freshman Xavier Lucas (pending his official departure). With an unknown surrounding Ricardo Hallman’s NFL draft decision, the Badgers needed to land several impact transfers.

They first did so by adding Jacksonville State transfer Geimere Latimer on Dec. 24 and now have done so with Hill. Both additions project to start immediately for a new-look defensive unit.

Hill is Wisconsin’s 19th transfer commitment overall (18 scholarship players, one walk-on). He may not be the final addition at the position. For more on Wisconsin’s remaining top targets, bookmark our transfer portal offer, visit and commitment tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Lake-effect snow is expected to blanket communities along Lake Michigan Sunday night into Monday morning, with up to four or six inches possible in Racine and Kenosha.

Downtown Milwaukee could get an inch or two of snow because of its proximity to the lake, potentially creating headaches for Monday morning commuters. Snow is expected to begin after 6 p.m. Sunday.

“The accumulations you see, we’re a lot more confident on what’s going to happen on the eastern edge of the counties than on the western edge,” National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard said.

Counties in northeastern Wisconsin could also get smaller amounts of snow, between a half-inch and two inches. Higher amounts are possible right along the lake.

That broad range accounts for the fact that some areas might not experience the snow band at all, explained Phil Kurimski, meteorologist at the NWS’ Green Bay office.

“Whoever gets in the band will see heavier totals,” he said.

Part of forecasting snowfall is computing a snow-to-liquid ratio, or how much water the snow is equivalent to. Milwaukee typically sees a 14-to-1 ratio, but tomorrow’s snow could be up to 20-to-1, Sheppard said.

“The reason why lake-effect snow tends to produce some of those larger accumulations is it tends to have a higher ratio, meaning that snow is lighter and fluffier and occupies more space,” he said.

More: Hearing a lot about ‘lake-effect’ snowstorms in the East? They can happen here too.

Sheppard said it’s important to drive carefully in these conditions, including leaving plenty of space between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.

If your community sees higher than expected accumulations, it could be a good idea to avoid commuting and work remotely if you have that option, he said.

“Once you travel west, out of that lake-effect zone, you find yourself in no trouble at all,” Sheppard said.

Temperatures will remain chilly in Wisconsin this week, around the mid-20s, with gusty winds that could make it feel colder.