A social media account allegedly belonging to Natalie Rupnow uploaded a disturbing image moments before a tragic school shooting.
The shooting occurred at Abundant Life Christian School at 10:57AM Monday, just as students were preparing for a festive final week of school before the holidays, per CNN.
Law enforcement responded within minutes. A Dane County Sheriff’s deputy and a Madison police officer arrived on the 28-acre campus and entered the building to confront the situation.
Medics, who were training nearby, joined the response, providing crucial assistance to the wounded.
“When officers arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds,” said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
Among the victims were a teacher and a student who lost their lives. Two injured students remain in critical condition, while a teacher and two other students sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to AP News.
The suspected shooter, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who also went by “Samantha,” was identified by authorities.
Social media from accounts believed to be linked to Rupnow hint at a fascination with past school shootings and mass violence.
A photograph on her father’s Facebook page shows her holding a rifle at a shooting range while wearing a T-shirt of the German industrial rock band KMFDM – a band associated with Columbine shooter Eric Harris.
Other posts uncovered on a Twitter account and a Tumblr blog, allegedly tied to the suspect, included references to school shootings in Jokela, Finland, and Parkland, Florida, as well as disturbing images of weapons and massacres, per ABC News.
One particularly unsettling Twitter post, uploaded just moments before the attack, featured an image of a person making an “OK” gesture inside a bathroom cubicle.
The symbol has reportedly been linked to other school shootings, according to the Anti-Defamation League.
A CashApp account reportedly connected to Rupnow displayed an image of the Columbine shooters, while Spotify playlists she curated were themed around suicide and murder.
A document alleged to be a manifesto penned by Rupnow is circulating online, raising questions about whether the attack was premeditated.
While authorities have not verified the document’s authenticity, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes confirmed investigators are “looking into her online activity.”
“The eerie posts suggest that the teen could have been inspired by deadly school shooters,” Chief Barnes said.
Authorities are also exploring the possibility that bullying may have contributed to the attack. However, Chief Barnes noted it is too early to determine whether Rupnow’s parents could face any criminal charges.
“There are always signs of a school shooting before it occurs,” Barnes stated.
