Coroner identifies victims killed in shooting at Christian school in Wisconsin
The teenage student and substitute teacher who were killed during the shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsinon Monday were identified as new details emerged about the suspected shooter.
The Dane County Medical Examiner shared its report with Fox News Digital late Wednesday, identifying 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin M. West as the deceased victims of a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
The report states that West, of Deforest, and Vergara, of Madison, were pronounced dead at the scene and that preliminary investigation results confirm that both died as a result of “homicidal firearm trauma.”
The report also identified the suspected shooter as 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” L. Rupnow, who was also pronounced dead at the scene from “gun trauma.”
MADISON, WISCONSIN, SCHOOL SHOOTING SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AS 15-YEAR-OLD GIRL
Emergency vehicles parked outside Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, after a shooting on Monday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The coroner said further testing is currently underway.
“These deaths remain under investigation by the City of Madison Police Department and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office. No further information is being released at this time,” the report said.
According to an obituary, Vergara was a freshman at Abundant Life Christian School and was described as an “avid reader, art lover and singer and keyboardist in the family worship band.”
Vergara’s aunt told Fox News Digital that it has been a “very difficult week” for her family and she is trying to get through her niece’s funeral, scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in Madison.
The Madison Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that two guns were recovered from the school following the shooting. However, Rupnow is said to have only used one weapon.
MADISON, WISCONSIN, school shooting leaves two dead and six injured; TEENAGE SUSPECT DEAD
Emergency vehicles line up outside the SSM Health clinic where parents and children are being reunited following a shooting Monday at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
During a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said “identifying a motive is our top priority.” He said the motive appeared to be a combination of factors but did not elaborate.
“Every child, every person in this building is a victim and will forever remain a victim. We have to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes said.
The police were He spoke with Rupnow’s father and other cooperating family members and searched Rupnow’s home, Barnes said. He declined to provide further details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.
Police investigate as emergency vehicles park outside Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where several injuries were reported following a shooting on Monday. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
“He lost someone too,” Barnes said of Rupnow’s father. “That’s why we’re not going to rush the information. We will take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
Barnes added that two students were still in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. A teacher and three other students were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Barnes said two of those people have since been released.
James and Rebekah Smith, whose 17-year-old daughter is a student at Abundant Life Christian School, told Fox News that they know all the victims and their families.
The Smiths said their daughter was not in the same class as Rupnow, the suspected shooter, or did not know her well, but said Rupnow was new to the school and enrolled sometime during the current semester.
They added that their daughter and her friend group said they never saw Rupnow speak to anyone at school.
Rebekah Smith said the slain teacher had a daughter who played sports with the Smiths’ daughter and they constantly talked to the mother at games.
She added that the victim had been a substitute teacher at the school for a long time and had only become a full-time teacher this year.
Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom and Garrett Tenney contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
