What’s New
The parents of Natalie Rupnow, the 15-year-old accused of opening fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, have been identified.
Natalie Rupnow, who also went by “Samantha,” died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One teacher and one student died in the shooting, and six other people were injured, including two people who are in critical condition.
Natalie Rupnow’s parents are believed to be Jeff and Mellissa Rupnow from Madison.
The last photo posted on Jeff Rupnow’s Facebook page was of his daughter at a shooting range. In the photo’s comments section, he said, “We joined NBSC this spring and we have been loving all every second of it!”
Jeff Rupnow’s social media said he was single, and his Facebook page was filled with photos of his daughter and his dogs. Mellissa Rupnow’s page, which has since been deleted or set to private, showed less information, containing a profile picture and a photo of a trip to Florida.
Newsweek contacted the Madison Police Department for comment via email.
Why It Matters
CNN reported on Monday that Natalie Rupnow’s parents were not being criminally investigated.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said, “The parents are fully cooperating, we have no reason to believe that they have committed a crime at this time.”
In recent school shootings, parents have been investigated alongside their children. For example, following a shooting at Apalachee High School in September, Colt Grey was charged with 55 counts, including four counts of “malice murder.”
His father, Colin Grey, was also charged as investigators said he knew about his son’s obsession with school shooters and then bought him the AR-15 that Colt Grey allegedly used in the shooting.
Colin Grey and his son pleaded not guilty to their charges in November.
What To Know
There have been more than 200 school shootings in the U.S. this year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Two weeks before the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, a man opened fire at the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo, California, and critically injured two children.
According to Everytown, Wisconsin ranks 21st in the country for gun safety laws. The state has child access prevention laws in place, meaning gun owners need to have proper storage for their guns if they live with children under the age of 14, and carrying a gun inside a K-12 school is illegal.
However, Wisconsin does not require background checks for gun purchases and does not have a mandated school threat assessment team to identify students who may commit a shooting.
What People Are Saying
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference: “Every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever.”
Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan said on X, formerly Twitter: “Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids. More ACTION is needed by our elected officials. And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers. This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn’t have to happen.”
President Joe Biden said on X: “Today, families in Madison, Wisconsin are grieving the loss of those who were killed and wounded at Abundant Life Christian School. It’s shocking and unconscionable. We need Congress to act. Now.”
Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids.
More ACTION is needed by our elected officials.
And more BACKBONE to stand up to gun manufacturers.
This is uniquely a United States problem that doesn’t have to happen.
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@RepMarkPocan) December 16, 2024
What Happens Next
The Biden administration has put forward legislation and initiatives to curb gun violence in the U.S.—including passing a “Red Flag” law in 2022 in an effort to keep guns out of the hands of people deemed a danger to others or themselves; creating the National Extreme Risk Protection Order, a group dedicated to helping states investigate Red Flags; and writing an executive order that investigates ghost guns.
Despite these initiatives, school shootings have remained rampant in the past year.
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump suggested a policy that would arm teachers with guns. Many gun safety advocates disagreed with the proposal, arguing that introducing more guns to school settings was not a solution to school shootings.
Trump is set to return to office on January 20, and it is unclear what his policy on school shooting prevention will be.
The post Who Are Natalie Rupnow’s Parents? What We Know appeared first on Newsweek.
