A SHOOTING at a Christian school has left at least three dead, including the suspected gunman, and six others injured.
Police swarmed Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, about 80 miles west of Milwaukee, on Monday following an on-campus shooting.
During an afternoon press conference, Madison Chief Shon Barnes disclosed the victim count as three dead and seven injured.
But, in the middle of the presser, a public information officer interrupted Barnes and said they had received an update from the department’s command center claiming two of the victims had died from their injuries.
However, the police department nullified those claims and clarified that the victim count stood at three dead and six injured.
“At this time, three are deceased. During the media briefing earlier this afternoon, it was erroneously shared 5 were deceased,” Madison police confirmed on its website.
“Again, three deceased. Nine in total were injured, including the three deceased.”
Barnes said officers responded to reports of an active shooter at the K-12 Christian school at 10:57 am.
When police arrived, they found multiple victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
An unidentified juvenile, who investigators believe was behind the shooting, was found dead, Barnes added.
The suspected shooter was a student at the school.
“Today is a sad, sad day not just to Madison but to the entire community and for our country,” Barnes said.
Responding officers did not fire their weapons and instead rendered aid to injured victims, the police chief said.
Barnes said the victims’ injuries range from non-life-threatening to life-threatening.
The police chief said his department underwent active shooter training two weeks before Monday’s incident.
Abundant Life Christian School released a statement hours after the shooting asking for prayers.
“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 school said.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said his office was closely monitoring the incident.
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Evers said.
A resident whose home neighbors the school told NBC affiliate WMTV that she “heard gunshots.”
John Diaz De Leon, who lives near the school, said he saw police cruisers speeding toward the campus.
“I didn’t know there were that many squad cars in Madison,” Leon told the outlet.
“We saw a few guys with long guns. They went into the school with a dog.
“Later on, I saw groups of kids coming out of the school into the church sanctuary.”
Madison Abundant Life Christian School serves approximately 200 families from 56 different churches in the Dane County area, according to the institution’s website.
At least 390 students are enrolled at the 28-acre campus.
This week was the school’s last week before Christmas vacation, with Friday scheduled to be the students’ final day.
The shooting occurred two days after the 12th anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
On December 12, 2012, a 20-year-old gunman stormed into the Newtown elementary school and killed 26 people, including 20 children and six adults.
Three are dead after a shooting broke out at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16.
The K-12 Christian school has at least 390 students, according to the institution’s website.
The school serves about 200 families from 56 different churches on its 28-acre campus.
The shooting broke out on Monday morning, just days before the student body’s last day ahead of Christmas break on Friday.
Police were called to the campus just before 11 am CST.
Two victims were killed and six more were injured in the shooting.
The shooter, a juvenile who cops said was a student, also died in the shooting.
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