A 15-year-old female student has been identified by authorities as the assailant responsible for a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday. The tragic incident resulted in the deaths of a teacher and a fellow student, with the suspected shooter found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police Chief Shon Barnes confirmed the identities of the victims and reported that three people lost their lives in the attack, while seven others were injured. Among the wounded, two students remain in critical condition, two are in stable condition, and two have since been discharged from the hospital.
The shooting took place at the private Christian school, which has approximately 400 students. A second-grade student was the first to call emergency services just before 11:00 a.m. local time to report the violence. Officers arrived at the scene, recovering a handgun and beginning their investigation into the tragic event. The suspect's family is cooperating with authorities as they work to determine a motive.
"We are still working to determine a motive," Chief Barnes said, adding that some medical responders had come directly from active shooter training. "I think we can all agree that enough is enough. We have to come together to support our students and prevent tragedies like this from occurring again."
The shooting has brought renewed attention to the ongoing issue of school violence in the United States, where the frequency of mass shootings continues to rise. In response, President Joe Biden condemned the attack, calling it "shocking and unconscionable." He also reiterated his call for stricter gun control laws.
"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," President Biden stated. "We need Congress to act. Now."
While female school shooters are rare, instances of female attackers have occurred over the past five decades. The tragedy marks another dark chapter in a year that has seen at least 487 mass shootings across the country, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The shooting occurred just days before the school's holiday break, and school officials have not yet decided whether students will return before the end of the year. "This has obviously rocked our school community," said Barbara Wiers, the school's director of elementary and school relations.
As the investigation continues, the Abundant Life Christian School community and the city of Madison are left grappling with the aftermath of yet another devastating school shooting.