A shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, has left three people dead, including the suspected shooter, and seven others injured.
The shooter, a juvenile who was a student at the school, was found dead inside the building, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.
Injuries range from minor to life-threatening, and the investigation into the incident is ongoing but authorities confirmed that there is no further threat to the community, and no other schools in the area are currently at risk.
Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 institution serving approximately 390 students, was scheduled to close for Christmas vacation later this week.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the school called for prayers for the victims and their families, asking the community to come together during this difficult time.
The school posted on its Facebook page: “Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS. We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able. Please pray for our Challenger Family.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is assisting with the investigation, focusing on tracing the firearm used in the shooting. ATF officials are working to determine the weapon’s origin, an important step in understanding how the firearm was acquired by a minor.
That’s going to be a key part of this investigation, as weapons owners have been held accountable in recent cases where someone underage conducts an act of violence.
The incident adds to the ongoing and troubling issue of gun violence in the United States, where over 600 mass shootings have occurred in 2024 alone.
This shooting is part of a broader public health crisis, with politicians and gun control advocates calling for urgent action to curb the violence.
Every day, 327 people are shot in the United States, at least 23 of them children. Of those, on average, 117 Americans die from their gunshot wounds.
The gun violence epidemic is a uniquely American issue as evidenced by Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes expressing his sorrow and frustration, highlighting the increasing violence in schools and communities.
“Yet another police chief is doing a press conference to speak about violence in our community, specifically in one of the places that’s most sacred to me as someone who loves education and as someone who has children that are in schools,” said Barnes, who questioned why schools should have to implement extensive security measures, such as bulletproof glass and metal detectors.
“Stop asking why schools don’t have bulletproof glass and metal detectors at all the doors,” said Barnes. “Ask why schools have to. That’s the question that needs to be asked.”
The obvious answer is that there are more guns than people in the United States, where Congress has abdicated its responsibility to regulate deadly firearms, the Supreme Court has expanded rights to access guns, and some Republican politicians are eagerly rolling back common sense laws governing weapons.
The Supreme Court is set to rule by this summer on the regulation of ghost guns in a decision that will be the difference between stopping the proliferation of these dangerous assemble-at-home firearms or allowing citizens to obtain unserialized and untraceable killing machines.
The shooting has sparked renewed calls for stronger gun control measures. among advocates who emphasize the need for action to address the root causes of gun violence, which continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives in the U.S.
Gun control remains a deeply divisive issue in the country, but hundreds of similar incidents have failed to reignite the debate over how to balance gun rights with the safety of the public, particularly children.
Gun control advocates condemned the shooting and lack of action toward tackling a decadeslong public health crisis that’s claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.
“This reality is inexcusable,” said Brady United Against Gun Violence. “We owe it to our children to #EndGunViolence.”
“Schools, supermarkets, bowling alleys—Americans should be free to live their lives in public without the constant threat of gunfire,” said Lisa McCormick, a New Jersey activist. “The tragic shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, is another stark reminder of the daily dangers posed by gun violence in our communities.”
“We know how to save lives—we just need our leaders to have the courage to act. It’s time to fight for common-sense solutions to gun violence in all its forms, from mass shootings to gun suicides to community violence. We cannot continue to accept this as normal. Our children, families, and communities deserve better. It’s time for real change,” said McCormick.
As authorities continue to investigate the shooting, the community in Madison is the latest left to cope with the aftermath of a tragic event that could have been easily avoided.
Americans own 46% of the world’s civilian-owned firearms, and U.S. firearm ownership rates far exceed those of other high-income countries.
Forty-six percent of U.S. households report owning at least one firearm, including 30% of Americans who say they personally own a firearm.
Firearm ownership varies significantly by state, with an estimated 64% of households owning a firearm in Montana compared to only 8% in New Jersey.
It has been well-documented that firearm ownership rates are associated with increased firearm-related death rates.
Over four decades of public health research consistently finds that firearm ownership increases the risk of firearm homicide, suicide, and unintentional injury.
Nevertheless, more than 6 in 10 Americans believe that a firearm in the home makes the family safer—a figure that has nearly doubled since 2000.
Among high-income countries, the United States is an outlier in terms of firearm violence. The U.S. has the highest firearm ownership and highest firearm death rates of 27 high-income countries.
Firearm owners can make their homes safer through secure firearm storage practices, but the majority of U.S. firearm owners choose to leave their firearms unlocked, allowing children or persons at risk for violence to access them.
An estimated 4.6 million children live in households with at least one firearm that is loaded and unlocked.
These unsafe storage practices lead to countless suicides, homicides, and unintentional injuries by individuals who should not have access to a firearm, including children, prohibited persons with a history of violence, and family members who may be suicidal or temporarily in crisis.
Leaving firearms unsecured also fuels theft, a primary avenue through which firearms are diverted into the illegal market and used in crime.
There are an estimated 250,000 firearm theft incidents each year, resulting in about 380,000 firearms stolen annually.
In recent years, as more Americans carry firearms in public, theft from cars has skyrocketed. Firearms stolen from cars now make up the majority of thefts.
One analysis of crime data reported to the FBI found that, on average, at least one firearm is reported stolen from a car every 15 minutes.
“Thoughts and prayers without action means more school shootings, more dead kids,” said U.S. Representative Mark Pocan.