ReutersPolice in the US state of Wisconsin say the 911 call they received after Monday’s school shooting came from a child who was no older than seven or eight years old.
A 15-year-old girl, identified by authorities as Natalie Rupno, shot dead a young student and a teacher and wounded six others at a Christian private school. The attacker, who attended the school, was also found dead with a handgun.
The child who called 911 just before 11:00 a.m. local time (17:00 GMT) was in the second grade, the Madison city police chief said. “Let that sink in for a minute,” Shawn Barnes told reporters.
The attacker’s motive is still unclear. The next police press conference is expected on Tuesday afternoon.
The victims have not yet been named and the child who raised the alarm has not been identified.
Chief Barnes said two students suffered life-threatening injuries. Four others were taken to hospital and two of them were later released.
The attacker, who also used the first name Samantha, is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No officer fired shots.
Chief Barnes said she attended the school before Monday’s attack. The shooting was confined to a study hall with students of mixed grades.
Asked about some of the text posted online said to be written by Rupno, Chief Barnes said: “We have not been able to confirm that it is authentic. We certainly Aware that it was posted and the person who posted it has a connection.” He added that the information has been shared with the FBI.
Rupno’s family is cooperating with the investigation. A property north of Madison was raided on Monday, local media reported.
Authorities have also asked to hear from witnesses, and several people who were present during the attack at Abundant Life Christian School have spoken to local media.
Eight-year-old Nora Gottschalk told CNN affiliate WISC that she was getting ready for lunch when the shots rang out. He saw an injured teacher screaming for help. “I was really scared and I was really sad,” she said.
Adler Jean Charles, a sixth grader, said he was in English class when he heard two gunshots. “Some people started crying and then we waited until the police came,” he told WISC.
Bethany Hyman, who attended the school and now has a daughter who is a student, told CNN affiliate WMTV: “I pray every morning with my kids that this doesn’t happen, and it That’s the world we live in.”
The director of school relations said the training of students for a mass shooting would have been “very fresh” after the session was held earlier this year.
President Joe Biden said the shooting was “shocking and irresponsible,” and called on lawmakers to act quickly on legislation that would prevent more gun violence.
Mass shootings, including at schools, are common in the United States. According to the news agency Education Week, 38 of them have been killed or injured this year. Before Monday’s attack there were a total of 69 victims – including 16 deaths.
But school shootings by female assailants are rare.
The school, which has about 400 students from kindergarten through high school age, remains closed during the investigation.
