The 15-year-old girl accused of shooting two people and wounding several others at a Wisconsin Christian school had two guns at the time of the attack, authorities revealed Wednesday.
Natalie “Samantha” Rupno opened fire Monday morning at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, killing substitute teacher Erin West and newcomer Ruby Vergara. She had two handguns, Police Chief Shawn Barnes said. Said, the girl’s motive is not clear.
“I don’t know if he planned it that day or a week before,” Barnes said. “To me, bringing a gun to school is like planning to hurt people. And so we don’t know what premeditation is.”
Barnes said he did not know how Rupno obtained the two handguns and declined to say who purchased them, citing the ongoing investigation.
Authorities also revealed late Tuesday that Rupno had been in contact with 20-year-old Alexander Pfaffendorf planning a coordinated attack A government building was targeted in California.
The two-page emergency restraining order from the Carlsbad Police Department states, “During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would Will target government building.”
The civil order does not specify which building he allegedly planned to attack or detail his conversation with Rupanov, who died by suicide after the shooting.
A San Diego Superior Court judge approved the order Tuesday night under California’s red flag gun law.
The order requires Puffendorf to turn over all of his guns and ammunition to police within 48 hours or less.
Authorities did not provide any additional details about Paffendorf’s conversations with Rupno, other than that he was plotting a mass shooting with her.
Barnes said local police, with the help of the FBI, were examining online records and interviewing the shooter’s parents and classmates to determine a motive.
Police said they did not know whether anyone was targeted in the attack or whether it was planned in advance.
According to a Washington Post analysis, Rupno was one of nine female students who have committed a school shooting since 1999, and she was a year younger than the average school shooter.
with post wires
