MADISON, Wis. — A youth opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
Madison Police Chief Shon F. Barnes said in a news conference that officers responded to Abundant Life Christian School shortly before 11 a.m. Central and found "multiple" victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
After the news conference, police announced the police chief "erroneously shared" that five people were dead. Madison police said shortly after 2 p.m. that three were killed and seven were injured. Those injured suffered injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
Authorities plan to hold another news conference at 2:30 p.m. Central.
Barnes said officers found the suspect, believed to be a juvenile student at the school, dead in the building.
Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
"Every child in that building is a victim, and will be a victim forever," Barnes said. "A sad, sad day, not only for Madison but for the entire country."
Barnes says police officers who responded did not fire their weapons.
“I’m not aware that the school had metal detectors nor should schools have metal detectors. It’s a safe space,” Barnes said.
Police blocked off roads around the school. Federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
In a statement, the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
John Diaz De Leon, who lives nearby and attends the adjacent City Church, told WMTV-TV he heard an intense blare of sirens as police responded.
“I didn’t know there were that many squad cars in Madison. We saw a few guys with long guns. They went into the school with a dog," De Leon said of police. “Later on I saw groups of kids coming out of the school into the church sanctuary.”
It was the the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut; Parkland, Florida; and Uvalde, Texas.
The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms. But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws.
Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.
