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Three people were killed, and others were injured Monday in a shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin. The shooting happened days before the Christmas break. Police said the student who opened fire was among the dead.
Here are some things to know about the shooting in Wisconsin's capital city:
What happened in Madison?
The shooting occurred late Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School. Names and ages of the victims were not immediately released, but Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said those killed included a "juvenile person."
Barnes said police officers who responded did not fire their weapons. The shooter likely died by suicide, Barnes said.
The school website shows that Friday was to be the last scheduled day of classes before the holiday break.
Barnes identified the weapon police found as a handgun. He said the gunfire was confined to one space. He didn't specify whether it was a classroom.
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter, Barnes said. He said the police training center is three miles from the school, and staff responded from there. "What began as a training day became an actual day," he said.
Barnes said he didn't immediately know the shooter's motive but added that detectives were "working hard to find as many answers as we can."
Barnes said he was not releasing any information about the shooter, including name or gender.
Barnes declined to say anything about the shooter, partly out of respect for the student's family.
"That's still someone's child that is gone," he said.
The White House said in a statement that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting and officials were in touch with local authorities to provide support. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers also has been briefed on the situation.
Teacher, teen student killed in shooting
A teacher and a teen student were killed in the shooting by a fellow student, chief Barnes said.
In addition to the deceased, Barnes said six other students are being treated at area hospitals, including two in critical condition with life-threatening injuries and four with non-life-threatening injuries.
Hospitals receive shooting victims
Lisa Adams, a spokesperson for SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital in Madison, said the hospital has received patients from the shooting but declined to provide further details.
"We are praying for all affected by today's tragic incident at Abundant Life Christian School and our community as a whole. We are grateful for the first responders who acted swiftly today," she said. "SSM Health is dedicated to serving our community. We remain committed to providing support and assistance in any way we can."
Emily Greendonner, a spokesperson for UW Health, said it is also receiving patients from the shooting and setting up areas for patients' families. UW Health is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin.
What is known about the school?
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.
"Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS. We are in the
midst of following up. We will share information as we are able," the school posted on its Facebook page. "Please pray for our Challenger Family."
The school's website said it was founded in 1978 "to offer students academic excellence in a Christ-focused context." The website said the school is accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International.
Have religious schools been targeted elsewhere?
The shooting comes less than two weeks after a gunman critically wounded two kindergartners at a tiny religious school in Northern California and then killed himself. Butte County Sheriff Kory L. Honea said Glenn Litton was mentally ill and believed that by targeting children on Dec. 4 that he was carrying out "counter-measures" in response to America's involvement in Middle East violence.
Litton, 56, gained entry to the Feather River School of Seventh Day Adventists in Oroville, California, by pretending he wanted to enroll a fictitious grandson, Honea said. He used a handgun to shoot and critically wound two kindergarten boys, ages 5 and 6. Authorities said Litton was found dead afterward just meters from the school's playground.
It was unclear why Feather River School was targeted.
How many school shootings have happened this year?
The website for the anti-violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety shows that there have been at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, in 2024. That data doesn't include the latest shooting in Madison.
The deadliest school shooting in 2024 happened in September at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Authorities said 14-year-old student Colt Gray opened fire with a semiautomatic assault-style rifle. Four people were killed and nine more were hurt, seven of them shot. A grand jury subsequently indicted Gray and his father Colin Gray - who was accused of giving his son access to the gun - on murder and other charges. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Last year, 45 people died in 158 school shootings, the Everytown for Gun Safety website shows. Sixty-seven people died in 181 school shootings in 2022, according to the data.