MADISON — At least three people, including the suspected shooter, are dead and at least six others were hurt in a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on the morning of Monday, December 16, 2024.
Click here for developing news updates on the situation from WTMJ’s News team.
Leaders from across Wisconsin and the United States are reacting live to the news of this shooting. WTMJ has gathered statements and reactions below:
Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Dr. Joe Gothard
Our hearts are heavy with profound sorrow as we stand in solidarity with our friends and neighbors at Abundant Life Christian School during this extraordinarily difficult time. We are saddened by the lives lost, injuries sustained, and the emotional and physical trauma experienced during today’s incident. We extend our deepest and most heartfelt sympathies to the school’s students, families, and staff.
This unimaginable tragedy impacts not just one school but all of us in the Greater Madison community. No one should face these complex emotions in isolation. As a community bound by mutual respect and compassion, we urge everyone to continue looking out for one another, to offer kindness, and to keep the Abundant Life Christian School community in your thoughts.
Today, this situation caused nine of our schools to be placed into Secure, which is part of our safety protocols. During this time, no one was allowed to enter or leave the building. The last Secure was lifted at 1:15 p.m.
Tomorrow, MMSD will continue classes as scheduled. Please know that the safety and well-being of our students, teachers, and staff remain our absolute highest priority. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, nurturing environment where everyone feels secure, heard, and cared for. We recognize that processing traumatic events can be emotionally overwhelming. Comprehensive resources will be available to support our students, families, and staff during this challenging period.
Wisconsin State Superintendent, Dr. Jill Underly issued the following statement:
“Our hearts are heavy with great sorrow as we mourn the senseless loss of life in yet another school shooting. No community should ever face the pain of losing children, teachers, or friends to violence – especially in our schools. Our schools are meant to be safe places.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to protect our children and our educators to ensure that such horrors never happen again. We will not rest until we find solutions that make our schools safe, and so our children feel secure. We owe it to every student, parent, and teacher to turn this great sense of grief that we are experiencing into action and build a future where senseless acts of violence are no longer a reality. The time for change is long past. Together, we will stand strong and demand the safety our children deserve.”
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard issued the following statement in the wake of the shooting:
“Today, our community is reeling from the heartbreaking and senseless tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, the students, educators, and everyone affected by this unimaginable and unacceptable violence.
Dane County stands united in grief with the Abundant Life Christian School community. We are committed to supporting the school, its students, and their families during this devastating time, and will work closely with law enforcement and other first responders, mental health professionals, and community leaders to provide resources and care for those who need it most.
No community should ever have to endure such a tragedy. My administration will do everything in its power to provide assistance in the face of this devastating loss. To all those grieving, please know that you are not alone. Dane County stands with you, and we are here to support you in any way possible. I have been in communication with the Governor’s office as well as the Mayor of Madison’s office and we will continue to update the public as we learn more.”
National Response:
President Joe Biden has released the following statement on the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison:
Today, families in Madison, Wisconsin, are grieving the loss of those who were killed and wounded at Abundant Life Christian School. It’s shocking and unconscionable.
We need Congress to act. Now.
From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention – it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence. We cannot continue to accept it as normal. Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.
Jill and I are praying for all the victims today, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries. We are grateful for the first responders who quickly arrived on the scene, and the FBI is supporting local law enforcement efforts. At my direction, my team has reached out to local officials to offer further support as needed.
My administration has taken aggressive action to combat the gun violence epidemic. We passed the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, I have taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other President in history, and I created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. But more is needed. Congress must pass commonsense gun safety laws: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart.
Vice President Kamala Harris released the following statement in response to the shooting:
Over the weekend, our nation paused to remember the innocent children and brave educators who were taken from us 12 years ago when someone armed with a weapon of war walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Today, senseless gun violence has once again visited our classrooms as students and teachers in Madison, WI had their last week of school before Christmas break tragically interrupted by a deadly shooting.
Doug and I are mourning the student and teacher who were killed and we are praying for all those who were injured, including those who remain hospitalized. We are also thinking of the young people and families who have had their lives forever changed by this act of gun violence. And we are sending our gratitude to the educators, members of law enforcement, first responders, and medical professionals who quickly and selflessly jumped into action to ensure that even more lives were not lost in this community.
As we hold our loved ones closer this holiday season, we must resolve to do everything in our power to end this epidemic that has become the leading cause of death for kids throughout America. While we have made necessary progress together over the last four years, including through the most significant gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years and our first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, there is more work to be done to ensure that every person has the freedom to live safe from the horror of gun violence. Congress and state legislatures must make background checks universal, pass red flag and safe storage laws, and ban assault weapons. These commonsense solutions will save lives and make our children and communities safer.
