Who Is Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow? Wisconsin School Shooter Identified as a 15-Year-Old Student Who Killed Two Before Turning Gun on Self
The teenage girl behind the tragic shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday has been identified. Police said Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, a 15-year-old student at the K-12 Abundant Life Christian School, brought a handgun to the campus and began firing shortly after 11 a.m, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
Rupnow shot dead a student and a teacher, and wounded two other students who are in critical condition. The shooter was later found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, as reported by CNN. In total, the incident resulted in the deaths of one teacher and one teenage student, with six others injured.
Senseless Violence
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Among the wounded, two teens remain in critical condition, authorities confirmed. A document believed to be a manifesto written by Rupnow has been making rounds on social media. However, police have stated that its authenticity has not yet been verified.
The school, located in Madison, the state capital, has around 400 students.
Bethany Highman, whose daughter is a student at the school, recounted the overwhelming fear she experienced until she was able to FaceTime her child and confirm her safety.
“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.”
The school wrote on its Facebook page, “Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS.
“We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able.”
Claims of Manifesto
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Just hours before Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow was named as the suspect in Monday’s mass shooting in Madison, a social media user claimed to have spoken with the 15-year-old’s alleged boyfriend.
The social media user, identified as @Slatzism, said that they had a conversation with Rupnow’s supposed boyfriend, who allegedly shared a manifesto. Authorities are currently working to verify the authenticity of the document and the claims surrounding it.
“He has very graciously provided me the full manifesto, which I verified by having him screen record himself opening it from a direct link the shooter sent to him via WhatsApp. I told him I would do my best to dispel some of the misinformation and present things as truthfully as I was given them, and I will hold myself to that,” the user said on X.
The post has been retweeted more than 5,000 times.
