Police in Madison, Wisconsin, are investigating how a 15-year-old school shooter obtained a handgun.
Police Chief Sean Burns said in an interview with CNN's John Berman on Tuesday morning that his partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) “have no idea where that weapon came from, who bought it, and who bought it.” And how did it get from the manufacturer to the hands of a 15-year-old girl?
“These are questions that will take time to answer,” Burns continued. “We are working hard to get those answers.”
Burns said police do not yet know whether the gun belonged to or was in the possession of the shooter's parents. However, he said the parents were cooperative and as of Tuesday morning there was no indication they were involved in any way in planning the incident.
“We're certainly going to consider all the facts and aspects of this case,” Burns said of whether the parents could face charges in connection with the shooting. “They were volunteering the information, so it will certainly help us determine whether they were involved, or if they were, whether this was pre-planned.”
Burns said he didn't want to speculate further until authorities have more information.
“We would also like to consider the possibility that the parents were careless,” he added. “And that's a question that we'll have to answer with the district attorney's office, which doesn't seem to be the case at this point.”
Burns said police are aware of a so-called “manifesto,” or letter, posted online by someone claiming to be a friend of the shooter. He added that police would focus on contacting the person on Tuesday.
Police will also examine personal communications the gunman had with friends to determine the extent of planning involved.
Burns said he believes it is important for the public to take steps to keep weapons out of the hands of young children.
“I don't think 15-year-olds should have access to weapons that they can bring to school and potentially hurt someone,” Burns said. “We must do a better job, not only in our own communities but also in this country, to ensure that young people do not have access to weapons and firearms, and to ensure that we pay attention to mental health issues. For the health of our children.”
“There's a lot of work we need to do to make sure we don't have conversations like this over and over again on CNN and other news outlets,” he added.
