Man arrested as police reveal school shooter had second gun
A 20-year-old was arrested for allegedly planning a second mass shooting in co-ordination with 15-year-old school shooter Natalie Rupnow.
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Police arrested a 20-year-old California man for allegedly planning a second mass shooting at a government building in co-ordination with the teen school shooter in Wisconsin.
Alexander Paffendorf, of Carlsbad, exchanged messages with Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, according to a gun violence restraining order obtained by CBS 8.
It comes as authorities revealed she had two handguns when she killed substitute teacher Erin West and freshman Rubi Vergara at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.
“During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” the restraining order states.
Police Chief Shon Barnes said the girl’s motive remains unclear. Her messages with Paffendorf could reveal the reasons behind the rampage.
“I do not know if she planned it that day or if she planned it a week prior,” Barnes said. “To me, bringing a gun to school to hurt people is planning. And so we don’t know what the premeditation is.”
A San Diego Superior Court ordered Paffendorf to turn over all his guns and ammunition within 48 hours or less.
Soon after the judge approved the emergency order, more than a dozen police cars pulled up outside Paffendorf’s home, according to CBS 8.
TEEN SHOOTERS OBSESSION
Natalie Rupnow, the 15-year-old accused of killing two people and injuring six others when she opened fire at a US Christian school, had been in therapy before the incident.
Police say the teen brought a handgun to the Wisconsin school and opened fire at about 11am inside a classroom, killing a student and a teacher before tuning the gun on herself.
Court records reveal Rupnow had a troubled home life and her parents married and divorced multiple times, meaning she was yanked between their homes.
Rupnow’s parents, Melissa and Jeff, married in 2011 and divorced in 2014, and although they shared custody they agreed she would live primarily with her mother.
They married again in 2017 and divorced again in 2020, this time splitting custody more evening, with Rupnow alternating homes multiple times per week.
They married a final time shortly afterwards, and separated again in 2021.
The mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, said it was “far too early” to comment on if the parents of the teen shooter would face criminal charges.
TEEN OBSESSED WITH SCHOOL MASSACRES
The insight comes as newly uncovered photos and online accounts reveal the teen was obsessed with other school shooters, including Columbine assailant Eric Harris.
In one image posted on her father’s Facebook page, she was shown with a gun at a shooting range while wearing a shirt from the German band KMFDM, a group Harris liked.
Police are still working to uncover the motive for the Madison shooting, but speculation is growing that the teen may have been inspired by the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which left 15 dead and 24 injured, the New York Post reports.
Meanwhile, an account on X believed to belong to Rupnow included a post shared within minutes the attack featuring a person flashing the “OK” sign, mirroring a sign shared by some other shooters, as well as video from a school stabbing attack in Sweden in 2015.
A Tumblr account also believed to be linked to Rupnow shared images of guns and other disturbing content related to school shootings.
“There are always signs of a school shooting before it occurs,” said police chief Shon Barnes.
Chief Barnes added authorities were looking into Rupnow’s online activity, whether or not she was bullied and the authenticity of a “manifesto” that has been attributed to her.
A report from the FBI reveals just 13 of the 345 active-shooter incidents across the United States from 2000 to 2019 — or less than 4 per cent — were perpetrated by women.
Meanwhile, only nine female students have committed a school shooting since 1999.
NEW DETAILS REVEALED ABOUT TEACHER
More details are revealed about the victims, including the fact that the teacher killed in the incident was a substitute covering for another teacher away on holiday.
The relief teacher was running a study session when Rupnow burst into the room and fired multiple rounds into the class, according to Wisconsin Right Now news.
“The teacher died protecting her class. Many more lives could have been taken,” said Lyndsay O’Connor, whose son and daughter also attend Abundant Life Christian School in Madison.
Rupnow, whose legal name is Natalie, was known to students and the school community as “Samantha” or “Sam” and was “very isolated” without a lot of friends.
CHILDREN TELL OF SCHOOL SHOOTING HORROR
Children caught in the shooting have told of the terror watching their teacher get shot.
The school has students ranging in age from kindergarten to year 12.
Student Nora Gottsckalk, eight, was in the hallway getting ready for lunch when she saw a teacher she knew injured.
“She was screaming, ‘Ah my leg, help, help,”’ the young girl told CNN affiliate WISC.
Another child, Alder Jean-Charles, told how he was attending English class when he heard two gunshots ring out.
“Some people started crying and then we just waited until the police came and they escorted us out. I was scared. Why did they do that?”
SHOOTER’S MOTIVE ‘A COMBINATION OF FACTORS’
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the shooter’s motive appeared to be a “combination of factors” and they were looking into whether “bullying” had played a part.
Officials are looking into the shooter’s online activity as part of their investigation, he said.
The police chief said the department was aware of a document related to the incident.
“We know a document has been widely shared on social media. At this time we cannot verify its authenticity,” he said.
“We have detectives working today to determine where this document originated, and who actually shared it online.”
CHAOS IN AFTERMATH OF SHOOTING
Madison Police on Tuesday updated the death toll to three after earlier “erroneously” telling a press conference the deaths were at five.
Abundant Life Christian School is non-denominational and has about 400 students, from kindergarten through high school.
US President Joe Biden was notified and senior White House officials were in touch with local counterparts in Madison to provide support as needed, the White House said.
SCHOOL ASKS FOR PRAYERS AFTER SHOOTING
The private school posted online requesting prayers for its staff and students.
“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 statement said.
“Please pray for our Challenger Family.”
This year, there have been at least 487 mass shootings – defined as a shooting involving at least four victims, dead or wounded – across the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
At least 15,998 people have been killed in firearms violence in the United States this year, according to the GVA.
In early September, a 14-year-old boy killed four people, including two students, at a high school in the state of Georgia, before being taken into custody.
Nineteen students and two teachers were shot dead in May 2022 when an 18-year-old gunman stormed their Uvalde, Texas elementary school and opened fire.
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