Father of Wisconsin teen who killed 2 in Madison school shooting arrested

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The father of a Wisconsin girl who killed two people in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School has been arrested and faces felony charges, the Madison Police Department said Thursday.

MPD said that Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, was arrested around 3:45 a.m. Thursday. An arrest warrant was unsealed at 1 p.m. Thursday.

Madison Police Dept. said he faces charges of contributing to the delinquency of a child and two counts of providing a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 resulting in death.

Interim Police Chief John Patterson explained during a news conference that two guns, magazines and ammunition were found at the school on the day of the shooting. Only one gun was used by the shooter, and both were purchased legally at Dane County stores by Jeffrey Rupnow.

Police reported finding other weapons in the home during a search, including one that was intended to be gifted to the teen shooter, Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow.

Patterson said there was a gun safe in the home, but it did not stop the teen from having regular access through her father and she may have seen him type the code in before.

Patterson also confirmed that police officers found a manifesto of the shooter titled “War Against Humanity.” Patterson said the teen student had a fascination with weapons and school shootings, and talked about them with people she met online.

“The items recovered were disturbing,” Patterson said. “They were alarming and they would have led any average person to the conclusion of violence, to the concern of violence really.”

The shooting in December of 2024 killed a teacher and a student, and left five students and one teacher injured. Five people were released from the hospital, with a student is still in the hospital in critical condition.

“The remaining patient who has been cared for at American Family Children’s Hospital following the Abundant Life Christian School shooting remains in critical condition,” UW Health said in a statement on Thursday.

Patterson said it has been a lengthy investigation and taken time to get to this point.

“The true heroes were the students in the school, their classmates and every employee of ALCS. You all showed courage and compassion to one another during your darkest day. please know that you are not alone and you always have our support,” Patterson said.

Patterson indicated that Jeffrey Rupnow has been cooperative with the investigation. He said this investigation will not be closed until Rupnow’s case makes its way through the court system.

Both law enforcement and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway pushed for gun safety during the news conference, urging gun owners to lock their firearms up properly.

“Gun owners also have a responsibility here. A responsibility to secure their weapons and prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands,” said Rhodes-Conway.

They added that internet safety is another concern, asking parents to watch what their children are doing online.

“I am a parent of three,” Patterson said. “I have a daughter who is 15. As a cop maybe I am on a different level than some people but I try very hard to understand what’s going on online. I hope other parents are doing the same and trying to be aware of what is occurring.”

The Dane County District Attorney’s Office said Rupnow is expected to appear Friday for his initial appearance.

Interim Chief Patterson also asked the public, especially ahead of Thursday’s announcement, to respect the privacy of the victims, students and staff at ALCS, and asked people to avoid the school’s campus Thursday to allow victims and families the time and space to process the information.

15 News reached out to ALCS for comment, and they said their focus is on students, staff and families healing and recovering

Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.

Copyright 2025 WMTV. All rights reserved.