At least 3 dead after shooting at Abundant Life Christian School

• By Andrew Bahl, Danielle DuClos, Keegan Kyle and Erin McGroarty
• 24 mins ago

Police responded Monday to a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in east Madison. Madison reported reported three individuals, including the shooter, were dead.  

​A student shooter and at least two others are dead after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in east Madison, according to the Madison Police Department.
The incident appears to be the deadliest Wisconsin school shooting ever recorded in a federal database.
The individuals killed were a teen student and a teacher, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told reporters Monday afternoon.
Two students also sustained critical and life-threatening injuries, while four others were transported to local hospitals with other injuries, Barnes said.
During a media briefing, police had said five people were dead but later clarified the number was three.
The shooter was a teen student at the school, police said, but their identity and gender was not released. Barnes said officers found the student dead upon entering the school this morning and officers didn't fire their weapons.
The school had been cleared as of mid-Monday afternoon, Barnes said, and officials said there is no danger to the community. A handgun had been recovered from the scene.
Madison Police are interviewing witnesses and obtaining search warrants to get additional information. Barnes said he was unsure where the shooting happened in the school, but it was confined to a single space whether that was a classroom or hallway.
The shooter's family is cooperating with the investigation, Barnes said, and police were in the process of searching their home. Barnes urged patience when it comes to a possible motive and more information on the shooter.
"This is going to be a long day for the Madison Police Department," he said. "We urge your patience."
Abundant Life is a private school with over 300 students in kindergarten through 12th grade near the intersection of East Buckeye Road and Highway 51.
Parents and loved ones were asked to meet at the SSM/Dean Health Clinic near East Buckeye Road and Stoughton Road.
Speaking with reporters, Barnes said it is a sad day for the Madison community and cautioned the situation was "ever-evolving."
"Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma will not go away," Barnes said. "Right now my heart is heavy for my community. My heart is heavy for Madison."
Play VideoParent Bethany Highman speaks with reporters about the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, where her daughter attends. Highman said her daughter is safe and she is waiting to be re-united.
By Danielle DuClosBethany Highman, whose daughter attends Abundant Life, said early Monday afternoon that she hadn't yet been re-unified with her child but she is safe. Her daughter hasn't given her any additional information on what happened in the school.
"As soon as it happened, I mean, your world, it stops for a minute," Highman said. "Just nothing else matters, there's nobody around you."
Fifteen ambulances responded to the shooting. Four victims were transported to St. Mary’s and three to University of Wisconsin-Madison hospitals, Madison Fire Department Chief Chris Carbon said.
On its Facebook page, the school requested prayers, drawing hundreds of responses from people across the country, and said it would share information as able.
Officers from the Madison Police Department, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and Dane County Sheriff's Department were on site. Barnes said he also had been in contact with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Barnes said it did not appear Abundant Life had a school resource officer.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes speaks with reporters about the deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
RUTHIE HAUGEMonday's school shooting is the deadliest in Wisconsin history since at least 1970, according to an online database of school shootings compiled by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. The database does not track incidents prior to 1970.
Nine Madison Metropolitan School District schools were placed on "secure" status out of an abundance of caution, the district said. As of mid-afternoon, those security measures have been lifted, the district said.
In a statement, MMSD Superintendent Joe Gothard said classes will proceed as scheduled Tuesday and "comprehensive resources" will be available.
"Please know that the safety and well-being of our students, teachers and staff remain our absolute highest priority. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, nurturing environment where everyone feels secure, heard and cared for," Gothard said. "We recognize that processing traumatic events can be emotionally overwhelming."
The University of Wisconsin-Madison issued a statement that it's providing counseling and other crisis support at 608-265-5600 for any students or staff affected by the shooting.
Gov. Tony Evers ordered flags fly at half staff in Wisconsin to honor the victims of the shooting. In a statement, Evers said, "There are no words to describe the devastation and heartbreak we feel today." 
"Kathy and I join the people of Wisconsin in praying for the families and loved ones of those whose lives were so senselessly taken and for the educators, staff, and the entire Abundant Life school community as they grapple with the grief, trauma, and loss of this gut-wrenching tragedy," Evers said. "We are also praying and hoping all those injured survive and recover."
Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly marked the incident as another reminder of the importance of school safety and stricture gun control.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to protect our children and our educators to ensure that such horrors never happen again," Underly wrote in an emailed statement. "We will not rest until we find solutions that make our schools safe, and so our children feel secure. We owe it to every student, parent, and teacher to turn this great sense of grief that we are experiencing into action and build a future where senseless acts of violence are no longer a reality."
Abundant Life was founded in 1978 and is situated on a 28-acre campus, serving 200 families from over 50 Dane County churches. About 390 students are enrolled at the school, according to its website. More than 50 staff are listed on its online directory. The school's last day of classes before winter break was scheduled for this coming Friday.
Editor's Note: This article is being updated as additional information becomes available.
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