A 17-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School on Tuesday, killing a teacher and another student before taking her own life, police said. The tragic incident, which injured multiple people, occurred just days before the school’s scheduled Christmas break, leaving the community in shock and mourning.
What happened?
The shooting took place early morning at the private Christian school in Wisconsin’s capital city. Madison police chief Shon Barnes confirmed that responding officers did not fire their weapons and said the shooter’s death appeared to be a suicide.
Investigators believe “a female shooter” used a 9mm pistol during the attack, according to an official who was quoted as saying by AP.
Nine public schools in the area were temporarily placed on lockdown as a precaution after the shooting.
The school had planned to break for the holidays on Friday, as noted on its website.
Biden reacts
President Joe Biden condemned the shooting in a statement, calling it “shocking and unconscionable” and renewing his call for stronger gun control measures.
“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention — it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence,” Biden said. “Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write — not having to learn how to duck and cover.”
About the school
Abundant Life Christian School is a nondenominational institution founded in 1978, serving approximately 390 students from kindergarten through high school. The school emphasizes a Christ-focused academic environment and is accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International.
The school addressed the tragedy in a Facebook post: “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. Please pray for our Challenger Family.”
A grim pattern
This shooting follows a disturbing trend of gun violence at schools in the United States. Just two weeks earlier, a gunman critically injured two kindergartners at Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Oroville, California, before taking his own life. The attacker, 56-year-old Glenn Litton, was reportedly mentally ill and claimed he was responding to America’s involvement in Middle East violence.
In 2024 alone, there have been at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, leading to 56 deaths and 147 injuries, according to data from Everytown for Gun Safety. Last year, 45 people died in 158 school shootings, while 67 deaths were reported in 2022.
The deadliest school shooting this year occurred in September at Apalachee High School in Georgia, where 14-year-old Colt Gray used a semiautomatic rifle to kill four people and injure nine. Both Colt and his father, Colin Gray, who allegedly provided access to the weapon, were indicted on murder and other charges.
Gun violence: A persistent crisis
Firearms have been the leading cause of death among children in the US in recent years, according to research by KFF. While the nation continues to debate gun control, incidents like the one in Madison leave families grieving and communities questioning how to ensure their children’s safety.
