Off The Record
2nd-Grader Who Survived Shooting at Madison Abundant Life School Shares Chilling Details – Shooter Revealed
There have been fatalities from yet another school shooting in the US. Hours later, survivors reconnected with their loved ones, describing the experience as “really scary” and “super sad.”
On December 16, 2024, a fatal shooting took place at Madison Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin.
A second-grader contacted 911 during the incident and subsequently explained the situation.
The school posted on its Facebook page about an active shooter situation and requested prayers from the community.
They let followers know that they were still getting information and will provide updates as soon as they could.
Later, Madison authorities reported that a teacher and a student were killed in a sad shooting.
While being taken to the hospital, the alleged shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, better known as Samantha, also passed away from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Rupnow, a student at the school, was among the three people killed in the event, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes disclosed during a news briefing.
Investigators revealed that Rupnow had planned the attack and had been dealing with personal issues, which she recorded in writings that the police are now examining.
To find out more about her situation, officials have already begun interviewing her family.
According to Barnes, a second-grader made the critical 911 call during the shooting. He expressed, “To me, it makes my heart skip a beat to think about that. We teach our kids if something is wrong to call what? To call 911, and so the child was able to do that.”
Despite probably being in a different room from the shooter, the student who dialed 911 acted quickly and responsibly, according to the law enforcement official.
Furthermore, Barnes stressed the importance of being ready, pointing out that gunfire is usually audible. He emphasized how instructors quickly implemented lockdown protocols and how students understood and complied with those directives.
In his remarks, Barnes urged parents to teach their kids to obey authority figures, look for a hiding place, find cover, or defend oneself with an object. He asserts that the most important thing to do in these circumstances is to pay attention to the adults present.
Students from different grades were in a study hall when the incident occurred. Six people were hurt in the event, according to the authorities.
Three pupils and a teacher are anticipated to recover, while two students are still in serious condition with potentially fatal injuries. Two of those four have already been released, according to authorities.
Bethany Highman, a Madison resident who grew up attending Abundant Life Christian School, described how she first found out about the incident as it happened that morning.
When Highman’s mother, who lives nearby, contacted to report a large police presence in the area, Highman—who is now a parent with a daughter enrolled in the school—found out about the issue. Given that there was an active shooter at the school, her mother advised her to maintain her composure.
“She had like an inside source kind of tell her and I just bolted down [sic],” Highman explained. She rushed to the scene and called her husband. Unable to enter the school, the concerned parent went to her mother’s house.
She was informed that her loved ones were safe and received updates from her sister. Highman’s daughter had not yet been reunited with mom and did not know where she was, but she was unharmed. The news was troubling because her sister, nieces, nephews, and children all attend the school.
Highman reflected on the terrifying reality that many parents now face, “I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen, and it’s the world that we live in.” Despite the tragedy, she took solace in her faith, expressing gratitude that her children and family were safe.
Following the Madison school massacre, parents and kids, including the Grange family—siblings Gideon and Ezra with their mother Brit—finally got back together. The three talked about their experiences in a joint interview just minutes after they were reunited.
Gideon recalled how the principal announced a lockdown amid the chaotic scene: “I didn’t think much of it, but then it got like really serious and it was super sad. It kind of freaked everybody out.” When police instructed everyone to flee the building, Gideon left without his coat, describing the situation as “crazy.”
Meanwhile, Ezra, his sister, remembered hearing “gunshots and screaming,” during the incident, which was “really scary.” Though she felt “terrified,” she assured the interviewer that she was feeling better. During the long wait to reunite, which lasted five to six hours, Ezra texted her mom through her watch to let her know she was safe.
Regarding the reunion, Brit expressed both relief and empathy: “I mean, there’s no better feeling than knowing your kids are safe. My heart goes out to the families that aren’t that fortunate right now because we know them and love them.”
Eight-year-old Nora Gottschalk, a second-grader, was one of the child witnesses to the tragedy and made the crucial 911 call during the massacre.
When the fighting started, she was getting ready for lunch in the corridor. The child said in a different interview that she saw a teacher she knew who had been hurt: “She was crying, ‘Ah! My leg! Help, help!”
In addition to reflecting on her feelings during the experience, the student held a SpongeBob lollipop and said, “I was really scared, and I was really sad.”
With about 420 students in kindergarten through high school, Abundant Life Christian School is renowned for its tight-knit community. The school has traditionally been characterized by parents and officials as a place where relationships are strong and everyone knows one another.
The terrible reality that many schools nowadays must deal with is reflected in this tragedy. The community’s support will be essential as survivors start the long road to recovery.
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