MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details about the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students.
Barnes said the suspected shooter was a student who likely died by suicide.
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The Abundant Life Christian School asked for the community´s prayers on its Facebook account Monday after a school shooting left at least three people dead, including the shooter.
"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.
Please pray for our Challenger Family," school staff posted on the Abundant Life Christian School Facebook page.
Hundreds of commenters offered prayers from around the country, some from former students, former teachers and alumni.
The school of about 390 students noted on its page in previous posts that this was the last school week before holiday break. Commenters also issued well wishes and prayers on videos of students on school trips and singing at the annual Christmas choir concert from recent weeks.
Bethany Highman rushed to the school that her daughter attends as soon as her mom, who lives near the school, called her about the shooting. Highman said she was able to briefly FaceTime with her daughter, so she knows she is safe.
Highman said she doesn't really know any details about what happened.
“We’re just as hungry for what’s going on as I’m sure all of you are,” she said.
Highman said it is surreal because you never expect to go through this even though it does happen.
“I bring my daughter to school knowing well that this happens in the world. That people are struggling. And I pray for my daughter’s safety and I pray for the entire school’s safety. I pray for the hearts of the students, the teachers, the staff members. It’s a very real thing.”
Highman´s world stopped when she got the call about the shooting.
“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters. There’s nobody around you. You just bolt for the door and try to do everything you can as a parent to be with your kids.”
Highman said she is angry about the shooting and devastated for the families who lost loved ones.
Monday's was the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas.
The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms.
But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws. Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.
Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Police have updated the death toll for the shooting.
Police often caution when disclosing the number of victims after a shooting that the information is preliminary and could change. That is not uncommon, especially as investigators gather additional information and details about injuries.
"We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond," Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.