Police arrest father in connection with daughter who killed 2 in Wisconsin school shooting
A Wisconsin father was arrested and charged with multiple felonies Thursday in connection with his teenage daughter, who killed two people in the Abundant Life Christian School shooting last year, officials said.
Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, was arrested around 3:45 a.m., said Madison Police Department spokesperson Stephanie Fryer.
Rupnow is charged with "contributing to the delinquency of a child" and two counts of "providing a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 resulting in death," Fryer said in a statement. All three charges are felonies.
Rupnow purchased the firearm that was used in the shooting legally in Dane County, Madison Police Department Lt. Matt Nordquist said in a press conference. His 15-year-old daughter had regular access to a gun safe and multiple other weapons in the home, police said.
Nordquist added that Rupnow has been cooperative with the investigation.
On December 16, 2024, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow killed two people and wounded at least six others in a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. Police said a "combination of factors" appeared to have led to the shooting, but have not shared details about Rupnow's motive. She died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
One student remains hospitalized almost five months after the shooting, police said
Police determined the teen shooter had an obsession with mass violence, school shootings, and weapons, though a clear motive might never be revealed. She kept a journal with drawings and videos of mass violence. Police said they tracked online interactions that may have deepened her fascination with violence and shootings.
A day after the attack, a judge issued a restraining order against a California man, Alexander Paffendorf, for his connection to the shooting. Paffendorf and Rupnow had been messaging about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives, according to officials. He has not been charged with any crimes.
The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims, a teacher and a student, as 42-year-old Erin West and 14-year-old Rubi Vergara.
CBS News reached out to Abundant Life Christian School for comment on the arrest and charges.
