HUNT FOR CLUES
Natalie Rupnow cops probing ‘manifesto’ after crazed school rampage left two people dead as SWAT teams stun grenade home
Schools in the area have been plagued by swatting incidents after the tragedy
A DISTURBING manifesto is being probed by cops after it was posted online right before a teen girl opened fire at her school, killing two people and injuring six others.
Police are still searching for a motive after 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow gunned down students and teachers at the Abundant Life Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.
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A student and a teacher were killed in the rampage before Rupnow, 15, turned the gun on herself.
She was pronounced dead in an ambulance on the way to the hospital, cops said.
Six additional people were injured as chaos unfolded inside a classroom containing mixed-grade students just days before Christmas.
Madison police have launched an investigation and raided Rupnow's home.
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At a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said several fake threat calls, or "swatting" incidents, had taken place in schools in Madison.
County Executive Melissa Agard said she had a child in the Madison school system and called today's swatting incidents "triggering."
In emotional scenes, Madison's Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway hit out at claims officials have been too slow to release information following the shooting.
She said that law enforcement would decide when it was right to name the victims, but slammed the media in the room.
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"It is absolutely none of y'all's business who was harmed in this," she said, her voice shaking.
"Please have some human decency and respect. Just have some human decency folks.
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"Leave them alone. Let them grieve. Let them recover. Let them heal.
"Don't feed off their pain. We'll share what we can when we can and not before then."
SEARCHING FOR A MANIFESTO
The press conference was held roughly 27 hours after the shooting - and after cops raided a house linked to the shooter.
SWAT teams swooped on the house – around eight miles from the school - and hurled stun grenades into the property.
Neighbors heard bangs and saw flashes as the grenades detonated, they told the NBC affiliate .
"The front door was taken off and nobody was around, and the detectives are in there mopping up the mess," one local said.
Chief Barnes revealed that Rupnow's parents are cooperating in the early stages of the probe.
The investigation into Rupnow's life comes as rumors have surfaced online that a manifesto of some kind may be linked to the teen shooter.
But police have stressed they've been unable to verify the alleged document.
"We haven't been able to verify that it's authentic," Barnes said.
"We're certainly aware that it's been posted, and the person who posted it alleged to have a connection with the victim."
One law enforcement source told that officers were probing notes that seemed to suggest Rupnow had been dealing with problems.
Law enforcement teams are said to have shared the supposed dossier with the FBI.
The motive behind the shooting remains unknown, but investigators believe Rupnow used a 9mm pistol to carry out the massacre.
“We’ll take our time and make sure that we do our due diligence,” Barnes warned.
Investigators are unsure how she got hold of the weapon and said they do not know where the gun came from.
Barnes also said cops believe Rupnow was at the school before the shooting unfolded.
What to know about Abundant Life Christian School shooting
Three people are dead after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16.
Cops say student Natalie Rupnow, 15, stormed campus with a 9mm pistol and killed a teacher and student before turning the gun on herself.
Six others, believed to be all students, were wounded and two were in critical condition. They've since been stabilized.
A total of 420 students are enrolled at the K-12 Christian school.
It serves about 200 families from 56 different churches on its 28-acre campus, according to the academy's website.
The tragedy unfolded in the last few days before students were released for Christmas break.
SCHOOL HORROR
The chaos unfolded at 10:47 am local time on Monday.
A second-grade teacher called 911 - not a second-grader, Barnes clarified on Tuesday.
Cops swooped on the school within three minutes of the 911 call.
In less than 10 minutes, Madison cops confirmed that the shooter was down and they had found a gun.
Cops and fire crews then combed the school to find victims before bomb dogs were brought in.
A reunification center was quickly established for frightened students and their parents.
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TERRIFIED KIDS
Nora Gottschalk, 8, told local CBS affiliate that she saw an injured teacher clutching her leg.
The second-grader said she was "really scared."
Her dad, Karl, said the youngster didn't have any shoes on when he collected her.
"I was in the hallway, and I was changing from my shoes to my boots to go to lunch because I have recess after, but then I heard the shooting and screams," Nora said.
"We went to the church right next to my school, and everyone was panicking still because a lot of police were there."
Meanwhile, Adler Jean-Charles, a sixth-grader, said he heard two gunshots.
"Some people started crying, and then we just waited until the police came and they escorted us out," he said.
Students were told to lock down as the chaos unfolded around them.
The school had previously worked with the police force on what to do if an active shooter situation occurred.
"When they heard 'lockdown, lockdown' and nothing else – they knew it was real, but they handled themselves brilliantly," Barbara Wiers, the director of elementary and school relations for the school, said.
Abundant Life Christian School shooting timeline
On December 16, a student at Abundant Life Christian School opened fire on the private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin. Below is a timeline of the events that unfolded:
10:57 am - A second-grade student calls 911 to report the shooting
11:00 am - Cops arrive on the scene and immediately enter the school
11:05 am - Cops find the shooter down and recover the gun
11:14 am - School is started to be cleared
11:20 am - Public safety alert is sent out to nearby phones
11:38 pm - Madison Police Department confirms multiple people are injured
12:15 pm - Cops hold a press conference and confirm three people are dead, including the shooter, and at least six others injured
12:38 pm - Abundant Life Christian School requests prayers on Facebook
2:30 pm - At a second press conference, cops confirm the shooter was a teen who attended the school
8:30 pm - Cops confirm shooter was student Natalie Rupnow, 15, who died while being transported to the hospital
LOCKDOWN
Wiers hailed the children, saying they behaved "magnificently" even though terrified.
Of the six people that were injured, two are in critical condition.
A teacher and three students suffered non-life-threatening injuries and have since been released from the hospital.
The victims have not been identified.
President Joe Biden branded the shooting "shocking and unconscionable."
"We cannot continue to accept it as normal," he said in a .
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"Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom."
The school is supposed to break up for the Christmas vacation on Friday.
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