A teenage student shot and killed two people and injured six others at Abundant Life Christian School Monday morning. Madison Police Department (MPD) said they found the shooter, a teenage student who attended the school, dead inside.
MPD Chief Shon Barnes said in a press conference at noon officers responded at 10:57 a.m. to a report of an active shooter. The police found the suspected shooter dead when they entered the building. Officers did not fire their weapons.
MPD previously said at least five people were killed, but they said around 1:15 p.m. Monday they had made an error.
The shooter killed a teenage student and a teacher using a handgun, and six other people were taken to hospitals, including two who have life-threatening injuries, Barnes told the press later. He said the school was cleared and no threats remain to the community.
Abundant Life Christian School has around 390 students, according to their website. The school requested prayers and promised additional information in a statement posted to their facebook.
La Follette High School, Sennett Middle School and Elvehjem Elementary School were put on “secure hold” after news of the shooting broke. While Abundant Life Christian isn’t part of the Madison Metropolitan School District, District Superintendent Joe Gothard in a statement said the impact of the tragedy affects the entire Madison community.
Students began arriving at SSM Health Clinic around 2:30 p.m. to reunify with families, according to The New York Times.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison said there was no ongoing threat to the community in a statement at 1 p.m. and offered resources and support to students and faculty affected by the shooting.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, and senior White House officials are in touch with Madison counterparts to provide support, the White House told press Monday afternoon.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement there were “no words to describe the heartbreak and devastation” and ordered flags of the United States and the state of Wisconsin to half-staff across the state through Dec. 22.
Other Wisconsin politicians, including U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan and Dane County Executive Melissa Agard offered condolences and appreciation for first responders.
The shooting took place two days after the 12th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. On social media, multiple UW-Madison students criticized the frequency of gun violence in the United States, particularly in schools.
“Stop asking why schools don’t have bullet proof glass and metal detectors at all the doors,” Barnes said. “Ask why schools have to. That's the question that needs to be asked.”
Editor's note: this article was updated at 1:17 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 to confirm and update the number of victims reported dead by MPD. This article was updated at 3:30 with new information.
Gavin Escott is the campus news editor for the Daily Cardinal. He has covered protests, breaking news and written in-depth on Wisconsin politics and higher education. He is the former producer of the Cardinal Call podcast. Follow him on X at @gav_escott.
