The Latest: Teacher and a student killed in a shooting at a private Christian school in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A teenage student opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday, killing a teacher and another teenage student in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes did not give details about the age or gender of the suspected shooter who also wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School, which has 420 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Of those wounded Barnes said two of them were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries. The other four had non-life-threatening injuries, and a hospital spokesperson said two were discharged Monday evening.

Barnes said the suspected shooter was a student who likely died by suicide.

A law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation told The Associated Press that the shooter was a 17-year-old female student.

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Lisa Adams, spokesperson for SSM Health, said two patients were discharged on Monday night and two others remain hospitalized at St. Mary’s Hospital in stable condition.

She said personnel at its medical clinic near the school “worked collaboratively with law enforcement in reuniting families.”

Two students remained in critical condition at a different hospital, according to Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Madison’s police chief ended the agency’s third press conference of the day by asking people to focus their attention on the Abundant Life Christian School community.

“These children are now the latest group of survivors of a school shooting,” Barnes said. “This time, unfortunately, in Madison, Wisconsin.”

School officials have not yet decided if classes will start up again this week. Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, said Monday began the last week of school prior to winter break.

She said their goal is to get the school’s staff together early in the week and then try to have some community opportunities for the students to reconnect.

Barbara Wiers, director of elementary and school relations for Abundant Life Christian School, said students “handled themselves magnificently.”

She said when the school practices safety routines, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen on Monday.

“When they heard ‘lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.

Wiers said just before the school year, they had done a retraining with the Madison Police Department, so it was “very fresh for faculty.”

“This has obviously rocked our school community,” she said.

Wiers said the school has a total of 420 K-12 students. The school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures including cameras, she said.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes did not release more information about the suspected shooter, including age, gender or name.

Barnes said investigators may have enough information to release more detail later Monday. Authorities have planned a fourth press conference for about 8:30 p.m. CST.

Barnes also warned people against sharing unconfirmed reports on social media about the shooter’s identity.

“What that does is it helps erode the trust in this process,” he said.

School shootings by teenage females have been extremely rare in U.S. history, with males in their teens and 20s carrying out the vast majority most of them, according to David Riedman, founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database.

In a blog post last year, he pointed to a handful of school shootings that involved perpetrators who identified as female, including a 16-year-old girl who shot and killed two and injured several others at San Diego elementary school in 1979.

—By Ryan Foley

Well into Monday afternoon, parents were directed to a medical clinic building about a mile from the school to pick up their children.

Some left holding their young children against their chests, others squeezing kids’ hands or shoulders as they walked side by side.

One family draped an adult-size coat around a young girl’s shoulder as they left the building to a parking lot still teeming with police and law enforcement vehicles.

President Joe Biden called the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School “shocking and unconscionable” in a statement Monday.

“We need Congress to act. Now," he said.

“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention - it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence. We cannot continue to accept it as normal,” he said. “Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover.”

He said that he and his wife, Jill, are praying for the victims. He thanked first responders who arrived quickly and said the FBI is supporting local law enforcement efforts. His team has also reached out to local officials to offer further support, at his direction.

He said that while his administration has taken aggressive action to combat the gun violence epidemic, more is needed:

“Congress must pass commonsense gun safety laws: Universal background checks. A national red flag law. A ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.”

The shooter who killed a teacher and a student Monday at a private Christian school in Wisconsin was a 17-year-old female student, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

The official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity. Police in Madison, Wisconsin, said the shooter apparently was dead by suicide when officers arrived.

—By Alanna Durkin Richer

In Las Vegas, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers opened a news conference Monday by talking about the shooting.

“Not a lot to say. Just a shame this keeps happening,” Rivers said, unprompted and before any questions could be asked. “Kids can’t go to school safe, and it just seems like we don’t do anything about it. Not going to get up here on the podium and give a long speech — except for it’s just bad and that we are thinking about them.”

Las Vegas was the site of the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history in 2017, when 58 people were killed and more than 850 were injured among a crowd of 22,000 at a country music festival.

The Bucks are in Las Vegas for Tuesday’s NBA Cup tournament championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes noted “At this time, yes,” the shooter’s family is cooperating.

“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas,” he said. “Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. ... We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened.”

Barnes said detectives were, “working hard to find as many answers as we can.”

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes identified the weapon police found as a handgun.

He said the gunfire was confined to one space. He didn’t specify whether it was a classroom.

Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter, Barnes said.

He said the police training center is three miles from the school, and staff responded from there.

“What began as a training day became an actual day,” he said.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said he didn’t immediately know the shooter’s motive but added that detectives were “working hard to find as many answers as we can.”

Barnes said he was not releasing any information about the shooter, including name or gender.

Barnes declined to say anything about the shooter, partly out of respect for the student’s family.

“That’s still someone’s child that is gone,” he said.

A teacher and a teen student were killed in the shooting at a Wisconsin school by a fellow student, police chief says.

In addition to the deceased, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said six other students are being treated at area hospitals, including two in critical condition with life-threatening injuries and four with non-life threatening injuries.

Lisa Adams, a spokesperson for SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, said the hospital has received patients from the shooting but declined to provide further details.

“We are praying for all affected by today’s tragic incident at Abundant Life Christian School and our community as a whole. We are grateful for the first responders who acted swiftly today,” she said. “SSM Health is dedicated to serving our community. We remain committed to providing support and assistance in any way we can.”

Emily Greendonner, a spokesperson for UW Health, said it is also receiving patients from the shooting and setting up areas for patients’ families. UW Health is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin.

The Abundant Life Christian School asked for the community’s prayers on its Facebook account Monday after a school shooting left at least three people dead, including the shooter.

“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,” school staff posted on the Abundant Life Christian School Facebook page.

Hundreds of commenters offered prayers from around the country, some from former students, former teachers and alumni.

The school of about 390 students noted on its page in previous posts that this was the last school week before holiday break. Commenters also issued well wishes and prayers on videos of students on school trips and singing at the annual Christmas choir concert from recent weeks.

Bethany Highman rushed to the school that her daughter attends as soon as her mom, who lives near the school, called her about the shooting. Highman said she was able to briefly FaceTime with her daughter, so she knows she is safe.

Highman said she doesn't really know any details about what happened.

“We’re just as hungry for what’s going on as I’m sure all of you are,” she said.

Highman said it is surreal because you never expect to go through this even though it does happen.

“I bring my daughter to school knowing well that this happens in the world. That people are struggling. And I pray for my daughter’s safety and I pray for the entire school’s safety. I pray for the hearts of the students, the teachers, the staff members. It’s a very real thing.”

Highman’s world stopped when she got the call about the shooting.

“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters. There’s nobody around you. You just bolt for the door and try to do everything you can as a parent to be with your kids.”

Highman said she is angry about the shooting and devastated for the families who lost loved ones.

Monday's was the the latest among dozens of school shootings across the U.S. in recent years, including especially deadly ones in Newtown, Connecticut, Parkland, Florida, and Uvalde, Texas.

The shootings have set off fervent debates about gun control and frayed the nerves of parents whose children are growing up accustomed to doing active shooter drills in their classrooms.

But school shootings have done little to move the needle on national gun laws. Firearms were the leading cause of death among children in 2020 and 2021, according to KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.

Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.

— By Alanna Durkin Richer

Police have updated the death toll for the shooting.

Police often caution when disclosing the number of victims after a shooting that the information is preliminary and could change. That is not uncommon, especially as investigators gather additional information and details about injuries.

“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,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement.

Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have responded to the scene to assist local law enforcement.

Abundant Life Christian School is nondenominational and has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.

This story has been updated to correct that Abundant Life Christian School includes students in prekindergarten through 12th grade, not kindergarten through 12th grade.

A family leaves the SSMI Health Center, set up as an reunification center, in Madison, Wis., following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Families leave the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Police walk outside the Abundant Life Christian School following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Students walk to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Students walks to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Students aboard a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

A family leaves the shelter after multiple injuries were reported following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., where multiple injuries were reported following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The good news is coach Mike McDaniel saw no finger-pointing after watching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense collapse in Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans.

The bad news? One of the Dolphins poorest offensive outputs of the season came when they could least afford it.

“This particular game, I don't think was up to the standard regardless of whoever's in there," McDaniel said Monday. "I think everyone is very, very aware after today's meetings that, that is not anything that we want Miami Dolphin football to look like.”

The Dolphins offense turned the ball over four times in a game they needed to win to help their playoff chances.

Miami also fell to 1-4 this season against current playoff teams, with losses to Green Bay and Buffalo (twice). The Dolphins in Week 10 defeated the Rams, who are tied for the NFC West lead.

That's a similar pattern from a year ago, when the 11-win Dolphins beat just one team that entered the matchup with a winning record.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler recently said the team has been in “playoff mode” since they dug themselves into a 2-6 hole to start the season. They have mostly taken care of business by going 4-2 since Week 10 to help their playoff chances.

But in their two losses during that span, they've struggled.

Miami was beat up in the trenches at Green Bay on Thanksgiving, managing just 39 yards rushing while giving up 114 yards on the ground. They missed at least a dozen tackles on defense and were 4 of 14 on third downs.

The Texans turned a fake punt into a 35-yard gain on Sunday and limited Miami to just 224 total yards.

Tagovailoa had his second-lowest passer rating (60) of the season. He was under constant pressure from Houston's pass rush, playing behind an offensive line down three starting tackles that gave up three sacks.

Tagovailoa had a strip-sack and three interceptions that led to 10 Houston points, including a pick on Miami's last-ditch effort at a comeback on the final drive.

“I’ve got to protect the ball. I’ve got to play better ball for our guys,” Tagovailoa said, "especially in a situation where the team is counting on me to go and drive our offense down to potentially tie the game up, and that’s not what I did. That’s not how you win games in this league.

"Very disappointed with how I played today and with how I conducted myself on the field, with our guys, with our team. I just need to be better in all aspects with that.”

After giving up more than 400 yards to Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, Miami's defense limited C.J. Stroud to 131 yards passing. And Houston's rushing attack led by Joe Mixon was held to just 77 yards.

The Dolphins had the 11th-best rushing offense in the NFL with 128.7 yards per game through the first eight weeks, but have failed to rush for 100 yards in six straight games. They ran for more than 80 yards once in that span and are averaging just 3.9 yards per rush behind an injured offensive line that has struggled to run block all season.

DT Zach Sieler. His sack of Stroud in the first quarter gave him 17 since the start of last season, which is second among interior defensive linemen during that span. Sieler has 3 1/2 sacks, three tackles for loss and five quarterback hits in the past two games.

The Tagovailoa-Hill connection. It has been inconsistent at best this season and was not there on Sunday. Hill caught just two of seven targets for 36 yards. All three of Tagovailoa's interceptions were targeting Hill, and McDaniel indicated in his halftime interview on CBS that one of Tagovailoa's errant throws was because Hill ran the wrong route.

“I saw the defender. It was more so trusting that Tyreek was going to cross his face," Tagovailoa said of an interception before halftime that he threw right to safety Calen Bullock, "and if you look at a lot of the throws that we throw in-breaks, safeties are there. We throw it to the safety, trusting that our guys are going to cross face. But that’s not just on Tyreek, that’s on me, as well.”

Receiver Grant DuBose remained in the hospital but had movement in his extremities after a scary hit to the head. ... McDaniel said WR Jaylen Waddle avoided a serious knee injury when he went out in the second quarter. Waddle will not need surgery but his status this week is in question.

3.6 — Miami's total number of yards per play on Sunday.

The Dolphins host San Francisco (6-8) in their home finale on Sunday.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Grant DuBose (88) is carted off the field after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) intercepts a pass intended for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1), left, fumbles the ball as he is sacked by Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51), resulting in a turnover after the Texans recovered the ball, during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) walks off the field after an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)