Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
152
“No Sympathy”: After Wisconsin School Tragedy, Natalie Rupnow’s Family Secrets Revealed
Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, a 15-year-old student, killed two people, injured six others, and took her own life during a shooting in Wisconsin, USA, on Monday (December 16). Police are investigating her troubled home life, marked by her parents’ multiple divorces and custody battles. Court records revealed a history of therapy and frequent moves between homes, while her father’s social media posts showed her involvement in shooting sports.
Highlights
- Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, 15, killed two and injured six in a Wisconsin, USA school shooting.
- Troubled by a family life involving divorces and custody battles, Natalie's life is being investigated.
- Court records highlighted frequent therapy sessions and moving homes.
Trigger warning: school shooting, suicide – Rupnow, who went by Samantha, was identified as the shooter in Monday’s deadly attack that occurred at Abundant Life Christian School, a private Christian school located in Madison, Wisconsin.
RELATED:
Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, a 15-year-old student, killed two people, injured six others
Image credits: Scott Olson/Getty Images
A staff member and another student were killed in the attack, while six others were injured, including two students hospitalized in critical condition, CNN reported on Thursday (December 19).
Rupnow was subsequently found dead when officers responded to the school shooting. Evidence reportedly suggests she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Information about Rupnow’s upbringing has since come to light.
The 15-year-old reportedly came from a troubled home life that included long bouts in therapy, while her parents, Jeff Rupnow and Mellissa Rupnow, divorced and remarried multiple times, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday (December 17).
By July 2022, after three divorces, Rupnow’s parents agreed to share custody, with her living mostly with her father.
Image credits: bpthaber
At the time, she was in therapy to help decide which parent to spend weekends with.
Rupnow’s Facebook profile showed several happy memories of him and M. Rupnow bringing their daughter home from the hospital when she was born in 2009, a day at the beach in 2015, and supporting Rupnow at a martial arts contest two years later, The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday (December 18).
Nevertheless, Rupnow often had to move between homes, changing her bedroom every two to three days, as per a custody agreement.
She took her own life during a shooting in Wisconsin, USA on Monday (December 16)
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
Rupnow had been previously married and divorced, and she had another daughter, aged 20, with a different man to whom she was never married, according to The Mail.
Rupnow was reportedly enrolled in therapy, which was supposed to help her make decisions about which parent she would spend her weekends with.
Custody papers from 2022 said: “The parents report a generally positive co-parenting relationship and will continue to communicate with one another by text messages and phone conversations.”
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
Rupnow’s social media activity unveiled more insights into his daughter’s life. In particular, one photograph taken at a shooting range showed Rupnow wearing a black top emblazoned with the name of the band KMFDM, The Mail reported.
KMFDM has been associated with school shootings after Columbine killer Eric Harris also wore their merchandise before the 1999 massacre.
KMFDM is an industrial rock band whose music often explores dark themes, though the band has condemned violence and denied promoting it.
Police are investigating her troubled home life, marked by her parents’ multiple divorces and custody battles
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
Rupnow confirmed his daughter was in the photo and mentioned they had joined the North Bristol Shooting Club (NBSC) in the spring, enjoying their time there.
The NBSC is a gun club in Sun Prairie, near Madison, with family memberships available for $90 per year.
J. Rupnow is currently cooperating with police as they try to find a motive for the tragedy as well as how the teen accessed the weapon she used, believed to be a 9mm handgun, The Mail reported.
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
It has also been reported that two guns were recovered at the school, but only one was used in the shooting.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives completed its data trace and provided it to police, but they are not providing any information on the guns “as it could jeopardize our investigation,” CNN reported.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a news conference late Monday: “At this time, it appears that the motive was a combination of factors.
Court records revealed a history of therapy and frequent moves between homes
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
“Some have asked if people were specifically targeted. Everyone was targeted in this incident, and everyone was put in equal danger.”
Authorities are aware, the chief said, of a “document” that had “been widely shared on social media,” CNN reported.
Barnes added: “At this time we cannot verify its authenticity. We have detectives working today to determine where this document originated and who actually shared it online.”
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
Police said in an update Wednesday that authenticating the document “involves identifying whether the original document exists on the suspect’s personal devices, such as a cell phone or laptop, and appears to have been originally created on a device they own,” as per CNN.
The document believed to have been posted by Rupnow online paints a vivid picture of a troubled teenager, The Australian reported on Wednesday.
It read: “I’ve grown to hate people and society; it’s truly not my fault though, it never was.
A document believed to have been posted by Rupnow online paints a vivid picture of a troubled teenager
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
“But all you and the world have done to me … tease me; you’ve pushed me into a corner with no help whatsoever.”
It further blamed Rupnow’s parents, stating: “My parents are sc*m; there is nothing that will save them to make me think good of them ever again.
“Nobody knows I’m doing this, I got the weapons by lies and manipulation and my father’s stupidity.
Image credits: Jeff Rupnow
“I planned on shooting myself a while ago but thought maybe it’s better for evolution rather than just one stupid, boring suicide.
“I’ve planned this myself and nobody else. I act alone.”
Police are also reportedly examining Rupnow’s online activity. Consequently, a deleted account on the social media site Tumblr has been linked to Rupnow.
Rupnow was identified as the shooter in Monday’s deadly attack that occurred at Abundant Life Christian School
Image credits: Andy Manis/Getty Images
The Tumblr page reportedly featured a video of Adam Lanza, who shot dead 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, playing a video game.
The same account posted a photo appearing to show the account’s owner receiving a handgun for their birthday, as per The Australian.
Moreover, officials are reportedly not releasing “specifics about these social media accounts,” but Barnes encouraged anyone who knew the shooter or had insight into her feelings prior to the shooting to contact investigators.
Mackynzie Wilson, a sophomore at Abundant Life Christian School whose locker was next to the shooter’s, said she “didn’t expect that from her.”
Image credits: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Wilson said: “She was really quiet. She didn’t really have any friends and she just seemed really lonely.
“It wasn’t like she was trying to fit in. She seemed very content being alone.”
Rupnow had been communicating with a man from California who was allegedly planning an attack on a government building, the Associated Press (AP) reported Wednesday.
A California judge issued a restraining order on Tuesday against the 20-year-old man under the state’s gun red flag law, effective until December 23, with a hearing scheduled for January 3, according to the AP.
Rupnow was found dead when officers responded to the school shooting
Image credits: CBS Evening News
The state’s gun red flag law allows authorities to remove firearms from individuals deemed a threat.
The order, obtained by the AP, revealed that the man had communicated with Rupnow about a potential attack.
Additionally, he was reportedly plotting a mass shooting with Rupnow and told FBI agents he intended to use explosives against a government building, although he did not specify the target or timing of the attack.
“I do not know if she planned it that day or if she planned it a week prior,” Barnes said of the Rupnow. “To me, bringing a gun to school to hurt people is planning. And so we don’t know what the premeditation is.”
“The true consequences will always evade their thought process,” a reader commented
Poll Question
Thanks! Check out the results:
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Angie May 1 week ago
Don't forget, verbatim from the orange p.o.s. himself, we just "need to get over it" when school shootings happen.
Load More Replies...
Tabitha 1 week ago (edited)
When it comes to issues like this, you can’t be reductionist. There are a lot of factors that contribute to this kind of outcome. Yes, some kids have terrible home lives and turn out just fine, though even they are affected by their childhoods, just in other ways. Some internalize it and start drinking or doing d***s to soothe themselves, others have anger issues, yet some never have any bad residual effects. Others have terrible home lives and become school shooters. Still others act out in other ways that put them in the pipeline to prison and/or a violent death. The endless combinations of bad experiences during childhood shape children differently, so we can’t make simplistic blanket statements about the issue, because of its complexity. That’s it saying something should not be done to help kids in crisis, it’s just saying that help will never be one size fits all.
MartiBob 1 week ago
All these thoughts and prayers really seem to be helping, don't they? Almost seems like gun control laws might be a better solution? So tired of adults and lawmakers sticking their heads in the sand.
Multa Nocte 1 week ago
I say that school shooters just don't have enough free publicity these days, do they, Andréa?
S 1 week ago
Would you rather pretend they don't happen? Reporting on them raises awareness, which eventually has to change laws. I hope.
Load More Replies... KatSaidWhat 1 week ago
Another day, another school shooting. Rest of world losing sympathy because US NEEDS guns...
Angie May 1 week ago
Tons of Americans are losing sympathy too, and tons of us believe there needs to be massive changes to gun laws and access, but we aren't the a******s in charge getting kickbacks.
Load More Replies... Roger9er 1 week ago (edited)
Everybody has so many things to say about how they think who deserves sympathy, whether the shooter is to blame, that they had a much worse life but would never.... The truth is, nobody can feel what others feel and nobody can know what others think. The truth is also that every child deserves a safe and loving environment, EVEN THOSE who came to such horrific actions. And a safe environment starts WITHOUT GUNS.
Pittsburgh rare 1 week ago
I'd expect an article about the victims. Their dreams, how they were... but instead it seems l need to feel sorry for the shooter. Alright then.
Angie May 1 week ago
Figuring out *why* these kids do these things is important. No one's asking you to feel sorry for the shooter, but since jack c**p is being done to stop these shootings by the people in power who have the capability to do so here we are trying to dissect these people's motives and capabilities.
Load More Replies...
WonderWoman 1 week ago
Indoctrination into hatred-driven ideology, parents who think about themselves rather than the welfare and mental health of a child, sub-par mental health options, courts that don't give a rat's behind about the kids of divorce, social media, and a state that worships guns and the trump mentality. This little girl was screwed was so many ways and she fell through every crack. It could and should have been prevented and innocent lives would not have been destroyed and ended. But society will look to lay blame EVERYWHERE but where it belongs. It isn't access to guns, or worshiping weapons, or hate-driven ideology, sub-par health care, better support for children of divorce, nope going they are going to say, I had it tough and I didn't kill anyone, nothing to see here, let's move on, just like they do after EVERY mass shooting!!
Angie May 1 week ago
EVERY SINGLE TIME this is how it goes. It's exhausting. Oh you grew up in a bad home and didn't kill anyone? Hey congratulations, but the cold hard facts are this girl did. And others have and will. So let's do something about it instead of whining about tHe LiBs trying to take your precious guns (they aren't) and get these kids in danger of going down this route some help (but you won't).
Load More Replies...
John Harrison 1 week ago
1. Andrea really is the absolute worst. Smh. But she generates the clicks, so BP keeps her around. 2. This happened at a Christian school. The Christian parents of the victims will now begin to rationalize why God didnt answer their prayers. "He works in mysterious ways! My baby has been called back to heaven!"
KatSaidWhat 1 week ago
Sometimes they just take them. It's why you make damn sure nobody but you has access to your gun.
Load More Replies...
Carl Roberts 1 week ago
This is a horribly written article that attempts to generate sympathy for a mentally disturbed killer. But, then again, this article was written by Andrea, who seems to have a weird fetish for murderers.
Lagenaria Siceraria 1 week ago
There is one striking thing in common with these events around the world, especially in the US: in all cases, children were trained to shoot. Why is it normal in the US for parents to train their children to shoot? This girl, even if she had access to weapons, if she was not trained, i.e. if she didn't know how to handle a weapon, she wouldn't be able to do this, or at least the consequences would be much less severe. That is why it is crucial to prevent this, introducing an age limit for the right to practice shooting. There are other aspects to this case. It has been shown once again that the line between suicide and murder is very thin. People with suicidal thoughts hate themselves and this very easily turns into hatred towards the whole society. This should always be treated as a red flag.
LonelyLittleLeafSheep 1 week ago
The issue is not just access to guns, but the mental health of our youth. Society actively encourages daily physical activity (remember Michelle Obama's Get Moving campaign?) but society does not actively encourage mindfulness, emotional control, or mental health for our kids. Bullying behaviors are not addressed and many of these kids feel like there is no support for them, especially if they're from broken homes. This girl's actions cannot be excused, but we must recognize that she was a victim long before this incident and she never received the help she needed. After 25+ years of these, you'd think mental health care for children and youth would be standard practices now. Sadly, until we become proactive as a society and address mental health needs as a crucial part of Healthcare, I fear we haven't seen the last of these horrible attacks.
Alexandrea Marriott 1 week ago
I think we need to step the f**k up and help these kids they are all clearly troubled and do not have the best home life our actions affect children more than people think it's not right by any means any of the s**t that's been done but it continues to happen due to the stupidity or just the general lack of care and compassion for kids seek out help and still do not receive enough care if we want this to stop them we need to step up and stop just talking about it
Angie May 1 week ago
Don't forget, verbatim from the orange p.o.s. himself, we just "need to get over it" when school shootings happen.
Load More Replies... Tabitha 1 week ago (edited)
When it comes to issues like this, you can’t be reductionist. There are a lot of factors that contribute to this kind of outcome. Yes, some kids have terrible home lives and turn out just fine, though even they are affected by their childhoods, just in other ways. Some internalize it and start drinking or doing d***s to soothe themselves, others have anger issues, yet some never have any bad residual effects. Others have terrible home lives and become school shooters. Still others act out in other ways that put them in the pipeline to prison and/or a violent death. The endless combinations of bad experiences during childhood shape children differently, so we can’t make simplistic blanket statements about the issue, because of its complexity. That’s it saying something should not be done to help kids in crisis, it’s just saying that help will never be one size fits all.
MartiBob 1 week ago
All these thoughts and prayers really seem to be helping, don't they? Almost seems like gun control laws might be a better solution? So tired of adults and lawmakers sticking their heads in the sand.
Multa Nocte 1 week ago
I say that school shooters just don't have enough free publicity these days, do they, Andréa?
S 1 week ago
Would you rather pretend they don't happen? Reporting on them raises awareness, which eventually has to change laws. I hope.
Load More Replies... KatSaidWhat 1 week ago
Another day, another school shooting. Rest of world losing sympathy because US NEEDS guns...
Angie May 1 week ago
Tons of Americans are losing sympathy too, and tons of us believe there needs to be massive changes to gun laws and access, but we aren't the a******s in charge getting kickbacks.
Load More Replies... Roger9er 1 week ago (edited)
Everybody has so many things to say about how they think who deserves sympathy, whether the shooter is to blame, that they had a much worse life but would never.... The truth is, nobody can feel what others feel and nobody can know what others think. The truth is also that every child deserves a safe and loving environment, EVEN THOSE who came to such horrific actions. And a safe environment starts WITHOUT GUNS.
Pittsburgh rare 1 week ago
I'd expect an article about the victims. Their dreams, how they were... but instead it seems l need to feel sorry for the shooter. Alright then.
Angie May 1 week ago
Figuring out *why* these kids do these things is important. No one's asking you to feel sorry for the shooter, but since jack c**p is being done to stop these shootings by the people in power who have the capability to do so here we are trying to dissect these people's motives and capabilities.
Load More Replies... WonderWoman 1 week ago
Indoctrination into hatred-driven ideology, parents who think about themselves rather than the welfare and mental health of a child, sub-par mental health options, courts that don't give a rat's behind about the kids of divorce, social media, and a state that worships guns and the trump mentality. This little girl was screwed was so many ways and she fell through every crack. It could and should have been prevented and innocent lives would not have been destroyed and ended. But society will look to lay blame EVERYWHERE but where it belongs. It isn't access to guns, or worshiping weapons, or hate-driven ideology, sub-par health care, better support for children of divorce, nope going they are going to say, I had it tough and I didn't kill anyone, nothing to see here, let's move on, just like they do after EVERY mass shooting!!
Angie May 1 week ago
EVERY SINGLE TIME this is how it goes. It's exhausting. Oh you grew up in a bad home and didn't kill anyone? Hey congratulations, but the cold hard facts are this girl did. And others have and will. So let's do something about it instead of whining about tHe LiBs trying to take your precious guns (they aren't) and get these kids in danger of going down this route some help (but you won't).
Load More Replies... John Harrison 1 week ago
1. Andrea really is the absolute worst. Smh. But she generates the clicks, so BP keeps her around. 2. This happened at a Christian school. The Christian parents of the victims will now begin to rationalize why God didnt answer their prayers. "He works in mysterious ways! My baby has been called back to heaven!"
KatSaidWhat 1 week ago
Sometimes they just take them. It's why you make damn sure nobody but you has access to your gun.
Load More Replies... Carl Roberts 1 week ago
This is a horribly written article that attempts to generate sympathy for a mentally disturbed killer. But, then again, this article was written by Andrea, who seems to have a weird fetish for murderers.
Lagenaria Siceraria 1 week ago
There is one striking thing in common with these events around the world, especially in the US: in all cases, children were trained to shoot. Why is it normal in the US for parents to train their children to shoot? This girl, even if she had access to weapons, if she was not trained, i.e. if she didn't know how to handle a weapon, she wouldn't be able to do this, or at least the consequences would be much less severe. That is why it is crucial to prevent this, introducing an age limit for the right to practice shooting. There are other aspects to this case. It has been shown once again that the line between suicide and murder is very thin. People with suicidal thoughts hate themselves and this very easily turns into hatred towards the whole society. This should always be treated as a red flag.
LonelyLittleLeafSheep 1 week ago
The issue is not just access to guns, but the mental health of our youth. Society actively encourages daily physical activity (remember Michelle Obama's Get Moving campaign?) but society does not actively encourage mindfulness, emotional control, or mental health for our kids. Bullying behaviors are not addressed and many of these kids feel like there is no support for them, especially if they're from broken homes. This girl's actions cannot be excused, but we must recognize that she was a victim long before this incident and she never received the help she needed. After 25+ years of these, you'd think mental health care for children and youth would be standard practices now. Sadly, until we become proactive as a society and address mental health needs as a crucial part of Healthcare, I fear we haven't seen the last of these horrible attacks.
Alexandrea Marriott 1 week ago
I think we need to step the f**k up and help these kids they are all clearly troubled and do not have the best home life our actions affect children more than people think it's not right by any means any of the s**t that's been done but it continues to happen due to the stupidity or just the general lack of care and compassion for kids seek out help and still do not receive enough care if we want this to stop them we need to step up and stop just talking about it
You May Like Teen, 16, Jailed For 12 Years For Attempted Homicide Of 14-Year-Old Boy, Attacked By Mistake Case Of Woman Who Missed Connecting Flight Takes New Twist As Police Investigate Her Payments "Teacher Needs To Be Fired": Bullies Sneak Into ICU Room Of 12YO Who Tried To Take Her Own Life
Karina Babenok
Karina Babenok
Karina Babenok
Related on Bored Panda
-28
42