A teenage student and a teacher were killed in a school shooting at Madison’s Abundant Life Christian School Monday morning, according to Madison Police.
Around 10:57 a.m., Madison Police responded to reports of an active shooter at the Christian school at 4901 Buckeye Road on Madison’s east side.
Officers arrived to find several people wounded, including some who were in critical condition. The shooter, whose identity is not being released, was found dead at the scene, presumably from a self-inflicted gunshot. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said officers did not fire a shot at the suspect but rather found the suspect already deceased.
Seven people were transported to local hospitals. Barnes said some of them, including teenage students, remain in critical condition as of Monday afternoon.
“Two students are now in critical condition at the hospital and these injuries are considered life threatening,” Barnes said at a press conference. “But there are other injuries that we’ll have to face for a very long time and we’re going to do everything we can as a community to heal those injuries as well.”
Some news outlets are reporting the shooter was a 17-year-old female. Barnes said police are not ready to release information about the shooter’s identity but did confirm Madison police have executed multiple search warrants related to the shooter, and that the shooter’s family is cooperating with police.
“I do not know why this happened,” Barnes said. “But I will tell you our detectives are working hard to find out as many answers as we can, so that we can prevent these things from happening.”
Police say the school building is clear and students were reunited with family at SSM Health Clinic on Madison’s east side.
The Madison Police Department is working with federal agents and state police to piece together what happened at Abundant Life. Police said there were no threats to the school and that the shooter’s motivations remain unclear. Police will be using federal and state resources to facilitate the investigation.
“We must work closely with our law enforcement officers, first responders, mental health professionals and policy makers to ensure we are taking care of one another,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard at a press conference.
Officials say there is no further threat to community safety from this incident but the wounds of the shooting will linger, and people are encouraged to seek out emotional support.
“This is an incredibly sad day for our community,” Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “I think we need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence. I hoped this day would never come to Madison.”
Agard agreed.
“As a mom who received a text from her son at a high school here in Madison, wondering if he was safe, I can tell you this hits you in the gut,” Agard said. “This does not need to be the reality of our community.”
Madison Police said they would give another update to the media Monday evening.
