At least three people are dead and several others were injured after a shooting on Dec. 16 at a Christian school in Wisconsin, according to police.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes was speaking to reporters when the death toll rose to five. Later, he told reporters that the figure was revised down to three deaths again.
A teacher and a teen student were killed in the shooting at a Wisconsin school by a fellow student, Barnes later said. Six people were injured, and two are in critical condition, the chief said.
The shooting suspect, who was not named, likely died by suicide after the incident, Barnes said. The suspect gender and age were also not disclosed.
Officers responded to a call about an active shooter at the Abundant Life Christian School at 10:57 a.m. local time, Barnes said.
“Our officers were responding to a call of an active shooter at the Abundant Life Christian School here in Madison,” Barnes said at a press conference. “When officers arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.”
“[The shooting] remains an active and ongoing investigation,” officials separately said.
Barnes said in the press conference that he won’t provide any details on the victims, including their names or if they are staff or students, until their next of kin are notified. He also will not provide details about the suspect.
He identified the weapon police found as a handgun, adding that the gunfire was confined to one space. He didn’t specify whether it was a classroom.
Police officers who responded to the scene did not fire their weapons, Barnes told reporters.
“Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever ... we need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened,” Barnes added.
Multiple elected officials in the state publicly responded to the shooting on social media on the afternoon of Dec. 16.
The White House told reporters that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident and that Biden administration officials are in contact with their counterparts in Madison to offer support if necessary.
Authorities from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are responding to the scene, it confirmed.
Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has around 390 students, from kindergarten to high school, according to the school’s website. The school asked for prayers on social media following the shooting but said it will provide information at a later time.
