Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow, Madison, Wisconsin teen shooter had only been at Christian school for 4 months with attendance issues when she launched attack as family of fatal victim, Rubi Patricia Vergara say they forgive her.
As Wisconsin authorities continue to grapple with what led to a 15 month old teen shooting up her school, leaving a fellow teen girl dead along with a substitute teacher, before taking her own life, education officials revealed the teen had only been at the school for less than 4 months.
Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow— who gunned down student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, and teacher Erin West, 42, at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday — was in her first semester and seemed to be settling in, though she struggled with attendance, educators said.
Rupnow’s rampage lasted just eight minutes, shorter than the school’s regular snack break, Barbara Wiers, the school’s director for elementary and communications told AP News.
Wisconsin student shooter had only been at Christian school for 4 months
Wiers said the community’s faith and connection to one another has sustained them as they struggle with the possibility that the teen shooter’s motive might remain undetermined.
‘Are we broken right now? Yes. Are we bruised and battered? Yes,’ she said. ‘But we will laugh again, and He will turn our mourning into joy again. And we will go on.’
Police say student Natalie Rupnow shot herself at the school and died at a Madison hospital. Police have said her motivation for the attack remains a key part of their investigation.
This was Rupnow’s first semester at ALCS, Wiers said. The school was working with her family on attendance, but teachers had no significant concerns, she said. It remained unclear how Rupnow came to end up at ALCS and where she was previously schooled and what led to her leaving the school for a new one.
‘I pray for this family because right now they’ve lost a daughter and they are wounded,’ she said. ‘And they’re 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.’
At the time of the shooting, Rupnow, had been in therapy as a result of her troubled home, according to court records obtained by the Washington Post.
Christian student victim family forgive shooter
The revelation follows the family of deceased teen, Rubi Vergar, during a Saturday funeral service, saying that they forgive Rupnow, CBS58 reported.
‘We hold no bitterness or unforgiveness towards 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow and her family. They lost a daughter too,’ said Andy Remus, Vergara’s uncle according to the outlet.
‘Somehow, this precious child of God lost her way,’ he added.
The relative asked the teachers at the school to absolve themselves of any guilt.
‘Do not for one minute blame yourselves for anything that has happened here, my family releases you from any feelings of guilt and we encourage you to continue your faithful teaching of Christian values.’
He also began to thank those in Madison, and their kindness amid the tragedy upon their community.
‘My family is nobody in this city, and we were treated with kindness and the most compassion you can ever imagine,‘ he said, while thanking those who donated to help lay Vergara to rest.
Substitute teacher Erin West who was also gunned down at the hands of Rupnow, is slated to have funeral service take place on Monday December 23.
West is survived by her husband and three daughters, her parents, and her sister.
The cause for the tragedy is still under investigation, a spokesperson said police were talking with the shooter’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching the shooter’s home.
Nevertheless many in the community expressed outcry as to the parent ‘giddily’ posted a photo of his daughter on Facebook, months earlier practicing shooting at a gun range, amid new revelations the teen was experiencing personal trauma amid a fractured family life and struggling with gender issues.
A 20 year old California man was also arrested on Wednesday following claims authorities had interceded texts between Rupnow and Alexander Paffendorf, a 20-year-old man from Carlsbad, in which the two had coordinated to affect simultaneous joint shootings, she at the school and he on a government building in San Diego using explosives and firearms.
Paffendorf is scheduled to for a court hearing on January 3.
