A shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, left three people dead and at least six others injured on Monday morning, according to local police authorities.
The tragic incident occurred at Abundant Life Christian School, a private school that serves nearly 400 students.
Authorities said that of the three people who died, one was a teacher, another was a student, and the third was the alleged shooter, a 17-year-old girl who also belonged to the aforementioned school community.
They also said that two people are in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while four victims are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the Madison Police DepartmentDetectives are working to determine a motive for this shooting.
She also said that parents and guardians are being reunited at Dean Clinic, 1821 S. Stoughton Road, and asked community members not to come to the clinic unless they are picking up a student.
“Today is a very, very sad day, not just for Madison but for our entire country, where yet another police chief is holding a press conference to talk about violence in our community, specifically in one of the most sacred places for me as someone who loves education and for someone who has children who are in schools,” Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference.
“To be honest, I feel a little bit distraught right now,” Barnes said. “So close to Christmas, every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be forever. And these kinds of traumas don’t just go away. And we have to figure out and try to piece together exactly what happened.”
Following a report of a shooting in progress, officers responded to the scene shortly before 11 a.m. Monday to find multiple victims and the shooter dead in the building.
“I want to offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families, and to the entire Abundant Life community. Our focus now is on supporting them and the victims and their families. And we will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.
For his part, the state's governor, Toby Evers, said in a statement that "There are no words to describe the devastation and pain we feel today after the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison this morning."
“Kathy and I join the people of Wisconsin in praying for the families and loved ones of those whose lives were so senselessly taken and for the educators, staff and entire Abundant Life School community as they deal with the grief, trauma and loss of this heartbreaking tragedy. We are also praying and hoping that all of those injured will survive and recover.”
“Kathy and I also have in our hearts the first responders who acted quickly and ran into danger to help save lives. This day will no doubt weigh heavily on them, and we are grateful for their critical response efforts in answering the call when they were needed most.”
“As a parent, a grandparent, and a governor, it is unthinkable that a child or an educator would wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as an inevitable reality or stop working to change it.”
“Today my focus is on supporting these families and children and the Abundant Life community, and the state stands ready to support them and the efforts of local law enforcement during what will undoubtedly be difficult days ahead,” he concluded.
According to the Gun Violence Archive, the incident marks the 487th mass shooting so far this year.
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