On Dec. 16, 2024, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow ,who went by Samantha, opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School located in Madison, Wisconsin. In total, six people were injured and three killed, including Rupnow, according to apnews.com.

At 10:57 a.m., a call was made from a second grade teacher, reporting that there was someone armed with two guns in the school. Rupnow had opened fire in a study hall with kids of all ages. Eight minutes later, at 11:05 a.m., the police arrived, but Rupnow was found dead from self-inflicted wounds, according to cityofmadison.com.

Victims of the attack were 14-year-old freshmen Rubi P. Vergara, who was known for playing in the church's worship band, and 42-year-old Erin M. West, who was a substitute coordinator for the school and well known for her way of “teaching with the love of Jesus,” according to christianitytoday.com.

The events prior to the shooting involved messages between her and 20-year-old Alexander Pattendorf, who encouraged her to move forward with their plan. Police had confiscated his weapons after they found out he was in contact with Rupnow and had a hand in planning the mass shooting. As of Jan. 21, he has not been penalized. Rupnow was frequently in contact with Pattendorf, often messaging him. The messages were composed of plans and suggestions to conduct the mass shooting. Pattendorf told Rupnow that he would go into a government building, explosives attached to his body and a gun on hand, according to nbcnews.com.

Rupnow was a freshman at the school, just starting her first semester after moving around due to a difficult home life. Rupnow’s parents had been together off and on, continuously getting divorced and then getting back together. Her mother stated that Rupnow had been dealing with mental health struggles, and attended therapy regularly, according to nbcnews.com.