A tragic shooting at a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, left at least five people, including one suspect, dead on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. The incident also left multiple people injured. Notably, the incident occurred just before the school’s scheduled Christmas vacations and has left the community in shock and mourning.
According to the sources, the suspected shooter was a 15-year-old student who opened fire, resulting in killing a schoolteacher and other students, before taking her own life.
The incident happened earlier in the morning at a private school named Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin’s capital city, Madison. The private institution teaches around 400 students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
Madison Police on Action
The authorities have confirmed that when they reached the crime scene, they found five people dead, including the suspected teacher, who was identified as a 15-year-old juvenile, dead. Meanwhile, the suspect’s identity has not been known yet.
The preliminary reports suggested that the suspected girl used a 9mm pistol during the attack.
According to the Madison Police chief, Shon Barnes, at least five people have been transported from the scene to the hospitals immediately. The shooting reportedly took place some time before 11 am (as per the local time).
“Today is a sad, sad day, not only for Madison, but for our country, where yet another police chief is doing a press conference to speak about violence in our community,” he said.
Barnes further said, “Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of traumas don’t just go away.”
Community Response
A video of the incident has also been surfacing on the internet, demonstrating emergency response from the police authorities, ambulance, and fire vehicles.
In the wake of the incident, nine public schools in the region have been temporarily shut down as a precaution in response. The school has planned a vacation for Christmas holidays, as mentioned on their website.
President Joe Biden Condemns the Incident
President Joe Biden has condemned the shooting at the Christian School in Madison. He called it shocking and unconscionable and renewed his call for stronger gun control measures.
“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention. It is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence,” he added.
“Every child deserves to feel safe in their classroom. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write—not having them learn how to duck and cover,” he added.
School Shootings, A Major Political Concern in the US
Additionally, gun control and school safety have become major political issues in the US. A large number of schools have reported school shootings from recent years. According to the K-12 school shooting database website, around 332 school shootings have been reported in the year 2024. This is the second highest year since 1996 to report such shootings. In 2023, a total of 349 school shootings have been reported.
Kanishka Malhotra is a seasoned journalist with a deep passion for reporting and uncovering the truth. With a specialization in research and investigative Journalism, she has covered wide range of topics related to social issues, travel, lifestyle, technology, Entertainment and much more. She believes to express and share her creativity to the world through words. With relentless pursuit of knowing and uncovering the truth, Kanishka continues to leave a mark in the world of journalism.
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