A student opened fire at a Wisconsin school on Monday, killing at least two people and injuring several others, officials said. The BBC Reported
Police Chief Shawn Barnes of the state capital, Madison, confirmed at a press briefing that three people had died at Abundant Life Christian School, a private Christian institution with about 400 students.
Among the dead was a juvenile believed to be the shooter, though Barnes did not provide details on whether the victims were students, staff or others. Seven people were taken to hospital with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
The tragic incident adds to a growing list of school shootings in the United States, where firearms outnumber people, and efforts to regulate gun access face political fire.
Reflecting the disturbing regularity of such incidents, Barnes noted that some medical personnel who responded to shootings had completed training for mass-casualty situations.
Police were called to the scene shortly before 11:00 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found multiple victims with gunshot wounds and discovered a deceased juvenile inside the building, who they believe was the shooter.
“We believe the shooter was a student at the school,” Barnes said, adding that the officers did not discharge their weapons.
The White House confirmed that President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident, and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers expressed his concern, saying he was “monitoring the situation closely.”
Evers also offered thoughts and prayers for students, educators, and the entire Abundant Life community, while thanking first responders for their swift actions.
A police spokesman initially reported five dead and five injured, but later clarified that the number was not correct. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 487 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, with more than 15,998 gun violence deaths.
The latest tragedy follows other high-profile school shootings, such as the September attack in Georgia, where a 14-year-old boy killed four people, and the Uvalde shooting in May 2022, which killed 19 students and two teachers. Lost their lives.