The Wisconsin Christian school where a teenage girl carried out a deadly shooting spree is known for its staunchly conservative views, including rejecting the theory of evolution and claiming that local government leaders are chosen by God, according to its faith declaration, a new report claims.
The details surfaced as police continue investigating a “combination of factors” to determine the motive behind Monday’s tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, The New York post reported. The shooting involved 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who killed a fellow student and a teacher while injuring three other teens and another teacher in a hail of gunfire., before turning the gun on herself.
Conservative School
“Human beings were created by an immediate act of God and not by a process of evolution,” the school’s two-page statement says, the outlet reported.
“We believe that civil government is ordained of God for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the protection of the good. We therefore consider it our duty to pray for rulers and magistrates; and to be obedient to their authority, except in things contrary to the will of God,” the statement added.
The school is a founding member of Impact Christian Schools, a network of Christian educational institutions in Wisconsin that, according to its website, is committed to the belief that “God wants more” from education.
Barbara Wiers, the Director of Elementary and Schools Relations, reiterated the school’s beliefs during a press conference on Monday.
“In spite of tragedy, God is working, and we believe that God is good in everything and that he turns beauty into ashes,” she said.
“He is our foundation at Abundant Life Christian School. We exist to bring and to build the disciples of Jesus Christ so we have complete faith he will carry us through this.”
Motive Still Unclear
This came as the first photos of Rupnow emerged on Tuesday evening. In one of the photos Rupnow is seen wearing a T-shirt from a band associated with Columbine killer Eric Harris. The widely shared photo of Rupnow, posted on her father’s Facebook page, shows her at a shooting range wearing merchandise from the German band KMFDM.
This detail is notable as Harris had also worn a T-shirt from the same band in photos before the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, where he and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people.
According to reports, the band’s acronym, KMFDM, roughly translates to “no pity for the majority.”
Like Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, Rupnow also took her own life by turning the gun on herself after her deadly rampage on Monday.
The photo of Rupnow wearing the band’s T-shirt has sparked speculation that she may have drawn inspiration from the Columbine massacre. However, investigators are still working to determine her exact motive for the attack.
Police said that Rupnow carried a handgun onto the Madison campus and began shooting inside a classroom during study hall around 11 a.m.
Her father, Jeff Rupnow, has posted numerous photos of his daughter over the years, dating back to her birth in 2009. He is cooperating with the investigation as police work to uncover a motive for the attack and determine how the teenager obtained the firearm, believed to be a 9mm handgun.
Court records suggest that Rupnow’s divorced parents had joint custody, though she primarily lived with her 42-year-old father.
