MADISON, Wis. (AP) 鈥� The Wisconsin 15-year-old who a teacher and a fellow student Monday was only in her first semester at the school but seemed to be settling in, a school official said Thursday as families of the victims remembered them as people of faith who had deep connections within the Christian school.
Abundant Life Christian School student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, of Madison and teacher Erin West, 42, of DeForest were killed Monday. Two other students who were shot remained hospitalized Thursday in critical condition.
Barbara Wiers, the school鈥檚 director for elementary and communications, told The Associated Press that the attack lasted eight minutes 鈥� shorter than the school鈥檚 regular snack break. She said the community鈥檚 faith and connection to one another has sustained them as they struggle with the possibility that the shooter鈥檚 motive might remain undetermined.
鈥淎re we broken right now? Yes. Are we bruised and battered? Yes," she said. 鈥淏ut we will laugh again, and He will turn our mourning into joy again. And we will go on.鈥�
Police say student Natalie 鈥淪amantha鈥� Rupnow shot herself at the school and died at a Madison hospital. Police have said her motivation for the attack remains a .
This was Rupnow鈥檚 first semester at ALCS, Wiers said. The school was working with her family on attendance, but teachers had no significant concerns, she said.
鈥淚 pray for this family because right now they鈥檝e lost a daughter and they are wounded," she said. "And they鈥檙e dealing with the fact that their daughter did this terrible thing and hurt these other people. It has to be one of the loneliest, bitterest places to be.鈥�
Vergara's funeral is set for Saturday at City Church, which is adjacent to the school, and West's funeral is Monday at Doxa Church in Madison, where she was a member, according to obituaries published Wednesday and Thursday.
West had worked at the school for four years and is the mother of three daughters, according to . She enjoyed camping with family, attending school sporting events, serving at Doxa Church and spending time with her daughters and the rest of her family, the obituary said.
鈥淎LCS is a better school for the work of Erin West,鈥� the school said in a statement.
West worked three years as a substitute teacher before accepting a staff position as the sub coordinator and in-building substitute teacher, according to the statement.
鈥淪he served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom, and 鈥� most importantly 鈥� with the love of Jesus,鈥� the school said. 鈥淗er loss is a painful and deep one and she will be greatly missed not just among our staff, but our entire ALCS family.鈥�
Vergara was a freshman at the school and 鈥渁n avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,鈥� according to .
The school described her as gentle and loving.
鈥淩ubi was a blessing to her class and our school,鈥� the school said. 鈥淪he was not only a good friend, but a great big sister. Often seen with a book in hand, she had a gift for art and music.鈥�
Attempts to obtain comment from relatives of West and Vergara have been unsuccessful.
The shooter brought two guns to the school. A man in California told authorities he had been messaging her about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives, according to a restraining order issued against him Tuesday under California鈥檚 gun red flag law. The order required the 20-year-old Carlsbad man to turn his guns and ammunition in to police within 48 hours, but it鈥檚 unclear Thursday whether he complied, would be charged or was in custody.
The order didn鈥檛 say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack. It also didn鈥檛 detail his interactions with Rupnow except to state that the man was plotting a mass shooting with her.
A spokesperson for the Carlsbad Police Department said federal authorities were leading the investigation and 鈥渨e do not believe there is a threat to our city.鈥�
Police, with the assistance of the FBI, were scouring online records and other resources and speaking with the shooter's parents and classmates , Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday.
Police don't know if anyone was targeted or if the attack had been planned in advance, the chief said.
While Rupnow had two handguns, Barnes said he does not know how she obtained them and he declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.
No decisions have been made about whether Rupnow's parents might be charged, but they have been cooperating, Barnes said.
Online court records show no criminal cases against her father, Jeffrey Rupnow, or her mother, Mellissa Rupnow. They are divorced and shared custody of their daughter, but she primarily lived with her father, according to court documents.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school of about 420 students that offers prekindergarten classes through high school.
Adam Rostad, who lives near Madison, went to ALCS from kindergarten through high school. His grandfather was pastor of the church that helped establish the school, and his mother and aunt both worked there.
Rostad said Thursday that even though he graduated about 20 years ago and doesn鈥檛 even consider himself a 鈥渃hurch person鈥� any longer, ALCS is family.
He has collected a list of about 440 people who are eager to either cook meals or buy gift cards for those affected and is coordinating with the school and church to make sure that鈥檚 the best way to help.
鈥淏ullets don鈥檛 really care what your faith is, or if you have one," Rostad said. "They really don鈥檛.鈥�
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This story was first published Dec. 19, 2024. It was updated Dec. 20, 2024, to correct that Natalie 鈥淪amantha鈥� Rupnow died at a hospital, not at the school.
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Dell鈥橭rto reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press Writer Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.
Scott Bauer, Giovanna Dell'orto And Todd Richmond, The Associated Press
