Jeffrey Lupnow, the father of Natalie “Samantha” Lupnow, has been arrested in connection with a tragic incident at Abundant Life Christian School last December, during which his 15-year-old daughter shot and killed two individuals while injuring others.
According to information from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Jeffrey entered Dane County Jail early Thursday morning after being charged a day earlier with two counts of selling a dangerous weapon to a minor, resulting in death, alongside a felony tied to contributing to a child’s delinquency.
A warrant for his arrest was issued on Wednesday, leading to his apprehension the next day.
The incident occurred on December 16, 2024, when Lupnow opened fire in her classroom, resulting in the deaths of 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara, who sustained serious injuries. Two others required hospitalization as well.
Court documents indicate that Natalie had been undergoing treatment for issues related to her family prior to the tragic events. Jeffrey reportedly told investigators that he was responsible in monitoring his daughter’s firearm access, yet evidence suggested otherwise.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Jeffrey had initially claimed to own 12 firearms stored in a safe at their residence. However, only eight were found by authorities during checks. Notably, it was reported that he removed one gun from the safe at his daughter’s request the day before the shooting, and later, he couldn’t recall whether he returned it before closing the safe.
Additionally, investigators uncovered a manifesto authored by Natalie at their home, in which she expressed admiration for a past school shooter. They also found detailed plans of the school and recorded footage of firearms being handled within the residence.
Jeffrey had previously been questioned about his daughter’s suicidal thoughts back in 2021. He admitted to not taking those warnings seriously. Furthermore, in 2022, Madison police addressed his daughter’s concerning online behaviors.
When confronted about his daughter’s capability of packing her gun, Jeffrey allegedly stated, “I didn’t think I needed to babysit her with this.”
He is set to appear in court on Friday at 1:30 pm local time in Wisconsin.
