MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A teenage student opened fire Monday at a private Christian school in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another teen during the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
The shooter also wounded others at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” Barnes said. “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.”
The shooter was a 17-year-old female student, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
Police said the shooter apparently was dead by suicide when officers arrived.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school — kindergarten through high school — with approximately 390 students in Madison, the state capital. After the shooting, students were led next door to City Church where buses took them elsewhere to be reunited with families.
Meanwhile, nine public schools in Madison were locked down for a few hours as a precaution.
“As difficult as today is, that's still someone's child that's gone,” the chief said.
A motive for the shooting was not immediately known, he added.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” Barnes said.
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter shortly before 11 a.m. First responders who were in training just 3 miles (5 kilometers) away dashed to the school for an actual emergency, Barnes said.
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.
“I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors nor should schools have metal detectors. It’s a safe space,” Barnes said.
Police blocked off roads around the school. Federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement.
Abundant Life asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.
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, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support.
“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,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said. “This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it.”
It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings 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.
Madison Mayor Satya 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.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A teenage student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another teenage student in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes did not give details about the age or gender of the suspected shooter who also wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students. Police previously said a total of five people had died but corrected the statement.
Barnes said the suspected shooter likely died by suicide.
“They found the person responsible who was down, deceased,” the chief said.
Of those wounded, Barnes said two of them were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The other four had non-life-threatening injuries, Barnes said.
The wounded had injuries ranging broadly from minor to life-threatening, Barnes said.
“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” he said. “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.”
Investigators did not immediately know a motive for the shooting, Barnes said.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he said.
Barnes said detectives were, “working hard to find as many answers as we can.”
Barnes said police were alerted shortly before 11 a.m. and did not fire their weapons when they rushed into the building.
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter, Barnes said. He said the police training center is 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the school and staff responded from there.
“What began as a training day became an actual day,” he said.
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.
“I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors nor should schools have metal detectors. It’s a safe space,” Barnes said.
Police blocked off roads around the school. Federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
In a statement, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support.
Abundant Life Christian School, which is nondenominational, asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.
Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school after hearing about the shooting 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.”
It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings 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.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
(Click below to view the 12:20 p.m. Monday police briefing)
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details about the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students. Police previously said a total of five people had died but corrected the statement.
Barnes said the suspected shooter was a student who likely died by suicide.
“They found the person responsible who was down, deceased,” the chief said.
The wounded had injuries ranging broadly from minor to life-threatening, Barnes said.
“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” he said. “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 were alerted shortly before 11 a.m. and did not fire their weapons when they rushed into the building.
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.
“I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors nor should schools have metal detectors. It’s a safe space,” Barnes said.
Police blocked off roads around the school. Federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
In a statement, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support.
Abundant Life Christian School, which is nondenominational, asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.
Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school after hearing about the shooting 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.”
It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings 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.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A youth opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details on the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students. Police previously said a total of five people had died.
Madison police in a statement said the suspected shooter was a student at the school. Police said seven people were hurt with injuries ranging broadly from “minor to life-threatening.”
“Today is a sad, sad day, not only for Madison but for our entire country," Barnes told reporters.
He said police were alerted shortly before 11 a.m. and did not fire their weapons when they rushed into the school. Barnes suggested the shooter died by suicide.
“They found the person responsible who was down, deceased," the chief said.
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. Federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
In a statement, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational.
John Diaz De Leon, who lives nearby and attends the adjacent City Church, told WMTV-TV he heard an intense blare of sirens as police responded.
“I didn’t know there were that many squad cars in Madison. We saw a few guys with long guns. They went into the school with a dog," De Leon said of police. “Later on I saw groups of kids coming out of the school into the church sanctuary.”
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Five people are dead and others injured after a shooting Monday at a private Christian school in Wisconsin, including a child who caused the attack, authorities said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes was speaking to reporters when the death toll rose to five from three people. He offered no details on the victims but says others were wounded in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
Barnes says police officers who responded did not fire their weapons.
Police had blocked off roads around the school Monday afternoon.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
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MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Multiple fatalities have been reported Monday in a shooting at a Christian school in Wisconsin, police said.
The shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, the state capital, police said.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation,” Madison police said in a statement. “More information will be released as it is available. We currently need people to avoid the area.”
Police had blocked off roads around the school Monday afternoon.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.