A 15-year-old female student opened fire at a school in Wisconsin (USA), killing one student and one teacher, and injuring six others.
The latest school shooting that shocked the United States occurred at around 11am on December 16 local time at Abundant Life Christian School, a private educational institution with about 400 students from kindergarten to grade 12 in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin.
Two victims were killed in the shooting, including a teacher and a student. In addition, six others were also injured.
At a press conference, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said two students injured in the shooting were in critical condition. A teacher and three other students were also wounded. Two of the victims have been released from the hospital.
The suspect, a student at the school who was armed with a handgun, was found dead inside the campus by police as soon as they arrived at the scene.
CNN quoted an anonymous source as saying that the suspect was a 15-year-old female student who committed suicide after carrying out the shooting.
If confirmed, this would be a rare occurrence, as studies show that only about 3% of shootings are committed by women.
The motive for the attack, which officials said occurred in an area inside the school, is not yet clear. Police said the suspect’s family is cooperating with the investigation.
“Today is a very sad day, not only for Madison but for our country, that another police chief has to hold a press conference to talk about violence in the community,” Barnes, a former teacher, said at an earlier press conference.
“Every child, every person in that building was a victim and will always be a victim. These types of injuries don’t just go away,” Barnes added.
According to statistics, there have been 322 school shootings in the US this year. This number is the second highest since 1966, only behind the total of 349 incidents that occurred last year.
“We need to do better to prevent gun violence in our country and our communities,” said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.
Gun control and school safety have become major political and social issues in the United States, where school shootings have increased in recent years.
The gun violence epidemic has affected public and private schools in urban, suburban, and rural communities.
President Joe Biden has called on Congress to pass gun control measures to prevent mass shootings. Similar calls have fallen on deaf ears after most recent school shootings.
“Our failure to protect our children from gun violence is unacceptable. We can no longer accept it as normal,” Biden said in a statement.
In 2022, President Biden signed into law the first major gun control reform in three decades about a month after an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, killing 19 students and two teachers.
Polls show that American voters support stricter background checks for gun buyers, temporary restrictions for those in crisis, and stricter safety requirements for storing guns in homes with children. But political leaders have largely resisted taking bold action, citing America’s constitutional right to own a gun.
