Prosecutors in Wisconsin have laid charges against Jeffrey Lupnow, the father of a teenage girl who carried out a school shooting last year, for allowing her access to the semi-automatic weapon used in the incident.
The charges detail the struggles faced by 15-year-old Natalie Lupnow, who was dealing with her parents’ divorce and expressed her anger in a piece she titled “War on Humanity.” The father, according to the complaint, tried to connect with her through firearms, even as she meticulously planned the attack, including creating a cardboard model of her school and scheduling it to conclude with her suicide.
The formal complaint was filed on Wednesday but was not sealed until Lupnow’s arrest on Thursday, after which he was taken to Dane County Jail. He faces two counts: providing dangerous weapons to minors, which resulted in death, and contributing to juvenile delinquency. Both charges are classified as felonies.
He was set to appear in court for the first time on Friday, though there were no records of any listed attorneys for him. Madison Police Chief John Patterson stated he was cooperative throughout the investigation.
The attack resulted in two fatalities and six injuries. On December 16th, Natalie entered the Christian School of Rich Life in Madison and opened fire in the study hall.
In the shooting, she killed teacher Erin Michelle West and a 14-year-old student, Rubi Vergara, while injuring several others. Investigators recovered 20 shell casings from the scene and a 9mm Glock, which Jeffrey had bought for her as a Christmas gift earlier that year, along with a .22 caliber pistol found in her bag.
Along with the firearms, her bag contained ammunition and other supplies. Notably, she wore a T-shirt marked with bull’s eyes during the attack.
Familial Struggles
Jeffrey informed investigators that Natalie lived with him but struggled emotionally due to the divorce from her mother in 2022. He recounted her expressing suicidal thoughts and mentioned locking away all the knives in his house due to her self-harm. She was reportedly receiving treatment to improve her social skills prior to the tragic event.
According to Melissa, Natalie’s mother, a therapist had indicated that Natalie was experiencing post-traumatic stress due to the divorce. A friend of Natalie’s also noted that Jeffrey often spoke harshly to her and that alcohol was a problem for him.
Jeffrey mentioned that Natalie had previously enjoyed shooting with him and that he viewed it as a bonding activity, but he was surprised by how her interest escalated. He held her firearms in a safe, cautioning her about their use, and about ten days before the incident, he texted a friend expressing concern about her access to the gun safe.
The day before the attack, he allowed her to clean one of the guns but didn’t remember if he secured it afterward.
The “War on Humanity”
Police found a six-page document in Natalie’s room titled “War on Humanity,” where she decried people as “filth” and detailed her disdain for those who didn’t care, citing her father in her critique. She had documented admiration for other school shooters and described how she acquired her weapons through manipulation and her father’s oversight.
Maps of the school and detailed plans for the attack were also discovered, indicating her intent to carry it out and end her own life shortly thereafter.
She had engaged in online conversations with individuals worldwide about her fascination with school shootings and firearms, as noted by Police Chief Patterson.
A Call for Better Gun Safety
In a message sent to authorities two weeks post-incident, Jeffrey labeled teaching Natalie gun safety as his greatest error and suggested police encourage families to change their gun safe combinations regularly to prevent unauthorized access.
He emphasized a desire to protect other families from experiencing similar pain, mentioning that Natalie’s subsequent actions were a shocking outcome of his own parental mistakes.
In the wake of this tragedy, Jeffrey’s case highlights an increasing trend of charging parents in connection to school shootings. Notably, parents in Michigan were convicted last year as the first to bear legal responsibility related to their child’s school shooting, while others across the country have faced similar legal repercussions following such incidents.
