Three dead, six injured in shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin

A teacher and a teenage student have been killed and six others injured in a school shooting in Wisconsin, police say.

Madison Police Chief Sean Barnes said the suspect, a teenager who attended Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, was also among the dead. At least two students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“Today is a sad day not only for Madison, but for our entire country,” Mr. Barnes said. “We have to do a better job in our community.”

He said police have not determined a motive for the shooting, and the suspect’s family is cooperating with the investigation.

Officers responded to a 911 call about an active shooter at the Christian school around 11:00 a.m. local time (5:00 p.m. GMT).

Police say they found the shooter dead when they arrived at the scene and no one had fired a weapon.

There are several victims with gunshot wounds, they were taken to the hospital.

Mr Barnes said two students were in hospital in a serious, life-threatening condition. Four others are in hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

According to him, the police found a gun at the scene. The shooting took place in one room, but it is not clear whether it was in a classroom or in a corridor.

Officials say there is no ongoing threat to other schools or the surrounding community. The investigation is ongoing.

Residents have been asked to avoid the area and roads around the school are closed.

A meeting point for students and parents has been created next to the school building.

“Every child, every person in this building is a victim and will always be a victim,” Mr Barnes said.

He said the officers responded to the scene while they were training at a law enforcement training center located three miles from the school.

“What started as a training day turned into a real day,” he said.

The incident also prompted a large response from emergency responders. Madison Fire Chief Chris Carbone said 15 emergency vehicles responded to calls about the shooting.

Abundant Life Christian School has approximately 400 students from kindergarten through high school.

“Please pray for our Challenger family,” the school wrote in a Facebook post.

Local city officials responded to the shooting during a press conference Monday afternoon.

“Reach out, ask for help, that shouldn’t be the reality of our community,” said Melissa Agard, Dane County Supervisor.

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he was closely monitoring the incident.

“We are praying for the children, teachers and the entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful to the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Evers said in a statement to X.

President Joe Biden has been informed, the White House said, and senior officials are in contact with local authorities.

Shootings are common in the US, and schools are no exception.

The K-12 Violence Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing violence through accessible and actionable research, counted more than 300 shootings in 2024. This includes when a gun is brandished or fired, or when a bullet enters school property for any reason, regardless of the number of casualties.

According to the information organization EducationWeek, 38 school shooters have been killed or injured in the United States this year. There were a total of 69 victims, including 16 deaths, before today’s shooting.