A grieving community in Wisconsin gathered Tuesday night to attend a vigil and another prayer service in memory of the victims of the Christian school shooting the day before.
The vigil was held outside the Wisconsin State Capitol in downtown Madison, with singers and speakers taking center stage, including local leaders like Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Joe Gothard.
At City Church, just across the lake, several hundred people gathered for a prayer service at Abundant Life Christian School next door. The school was the scene of Monday's tragedy. Natalie “Samantha” Lupnow, 15, shot and killed a teacher classmate and then her own life.
Winnie Clifford, 13, said: “It's really sad for all the parents and all the kids at school who have to live in fear every day that something like this is going to happen.” wisconsin public radio.
“It's really sad because I feel like so many people don't want to make the changes that are needed to prevent this,” Madison local Nadir Carlson told the magazine.
“I think we need to have a conversation about why young people are bringing guns to school.”
Wisconsin State Capitol. Jeff M. Brown, ZUMA Press
Abundant Life Christian School's sign was still wrapped in yellow warning tape during Tuesday night's solemn service.
A sign outside the school still displayed a message about the school's athletics from a few days ago.
Wisconsin State Capitol after school shooting. Jeff M. Brown, ZUMA Press
Similar to the Capitol, faith leaders sought to inspire and encourage the community through song and prayer.
Teachers from Abundant Life Christian School spoke at the service, including the Rev. Sarah Karlen, art director and theater teacher. She called for more support as hateful comments continue to suffocate the school's social media.
“Lord, we need healing. Not just for ourselves, but for those in the hospital. We need healing for our families. We need healing for our students. We need healing for our staff,” she said.
Abundant Life Christian School shooting incident. Jeff M. Brown, ZUMA Press
Madison police are still investigating Rapnow's motives. Her rampage injured six other people who were treated at a nearby hospital, two of whom remained in critical condition as of Tuesday.
The identities of the casualties have not been released.
This year marks the 83rd mass shooting at Abundant Life Christian School. According to CNN. Monday's school shooting officially marks 2024 as the year for the most school shootings, which was 82 in 2023.
