Authorities in Madison, Wisconsin, have confirmed that a second-grade student, estimated to be around seven or eight years old, made the 911 call reporting a shooting at a local school on Monday.
The incident at a private Christian school involved a 15-year-old female student, identified by officials as Natalie Rupnow, who opened fire, killing a teacher and a fellow student, and injuring six others. The attacker, who was a student at the school, was found dead at the scene from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Police Chief Shon Barnes shared that the 911 call was made just before 11:00 AM local time, highlighting the gravity of the situation with the young age of the caller. “Let that soak in for a moment,” Barnes said during a press briefing.
At this time, the motive behind the attack remains unclear. Authorities are planning to hold another press conference on Tuesday afternoon to provide further updates.
Two students remain in critical condition, while the others, who sustained injuries, have been released after treatment. The names of the victims and the young 911 caller have not been disclosed.
The investigation is ongoing, with law enforcement reviewing online posts allegedly linked to the attacker. The FBI is involved in the inquiry, and local media reports suggest a raid was conducted at a property north of Madison related to the case.
Witnesses have come forward to share their experiences, including an eight-year-old student, Nora Gottschalk, who described the chaos as she was preparing for lunch. “I was really scared and I was really sad,” Gottschalk said, recalling how she saw an injured teacher calling for help.
Another student, Adler Jean-Charles, recounted hearing gunshots during his English class, followed by a tense waiting period until the police arrived.
Bethany Highman, a parent at the school, expressed her deep concern for her children’s safety, remarking, “I pray with my kids every morning that this won’t happen, and it’s the world we live in.”
The school had conducted mass shooting drills earlier this year, which, according to the school’s director of relations, had kept the training “fresh in students’ minds.”
In response to the tragedy, President Joe Biden condemned the attack as “shocking and unconscionable” and urged lawmakers to take immediate action on gun violence prevention.
The shooting is part of a broader trend of school shootings in the United States. With 38 such incidents this year alone, these attacks have caused numerous injuries and fatalities. However, female perpetrators in school shootings remain a rarity.
The school, serving around 400 students from kindergarten through high school, will remain closed while investigations continue.
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