Teen Girl Kills 2 in Christian School Shooting: Cops

A 15-year-old girl opened fire at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin Monday, killing a classmate and a teacher, authorities said.

The female student, whose identity has not been released, opened fire just before 11 a.m. at Abundant Life Christian School, where six others were injured, law enforcement sources told CNN and the Associated Press. Her age was initially reported as 17, but authorities later confirmed she was 15 at a later press conference.

Officers arrived at the scene around 10:57 a.m., Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a press conference on Monday. “I can confirm that the first officers arrived at 11:00 a.m., and immediately went in the building three minutes later,” Barnes said.

The shooter was found dead at the scene, cops said.

“Today is a sad, sad, day,” Barnes said at the first press conference after the shooting. “Not just for Madison, but for our entire country.”

Police said the six injured victims included two students who were in critical condition.

Injuries sustained by victims, the police incident website said, “range from minor to life-threatening.”

“Two students remain in critical condition, their injuries are life threatening,” Barnes said later that evening. Another two victims were already released from the hospital.

None of the victims' identities have been released.

Police officers who responded to the scene did not fire their weapons, Barnes said. And agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have since arrived to assist local law enforcement.

“This is a ever-evolving situation,” he added. “So there’s a lot of work that has to be done, and we’re committed to doing that work. We just ask for your patience.”

Barnes said police could not comment on a possible motive, or possible warning signs as officers continue their investigation. “They’re still talking to parents, who are cooperating,” Barnes added.

Abundant Life Christian School is a private Christian institution that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade. Its 28 acre campus serves a student body of at least 300 pupils.

“We do not have metal detectors, but we do have a number of security protocols in place,” Barbara Wiers, the director of elementary and school relations at Abundant Life, said at a press conference Monday evening. These include cameras that are monitored by staff, Weirs added.

The Abundant Life director said that students at the small Christian school practice emergency drills frequently, but they quickly realized the lockdown on Monday was a real threat. “They knew it was real, but they handled themselves brilliantly,” Wiers said.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson responded to reports of the shooting shortly after news broke in a post on X.

“My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School,” he wrote. “I will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers also spoke out in response to the shooting. “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,” he said in a statement.

According to a White House spokesperson, President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident.