TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona's long shot playoff hopes got a bit of a lift thanks to the game results Sunday.
The Cardinals took care of business against the hapless New England Patriots, winning 30-17 in an uneven, but solid performance. Perhaps even more importantly, the Green Bay Packers knocked off the Seahawks 30-13 to bring Seattle back to the pack in the NFC West.
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New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland (38) celebrates his field goal wit hpunter Michael Palardy (10) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) runs as New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner celebrates his touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Los Angeles Rams (8-6) and Seahawks (8-6) are now one game ahead of the Cardinals (7-7) for the division lead with the San Francisco 49ers (6-8) right behind.
The Cardinals are still in a tough spot because the Seahawks have the potential tiebreaker after sweeping the season series, but there's more hope than there was just a few days ago.
“They know that everything they do matters right now,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. "They've got to display winning behavior, they've got to practice well, play well, and they have a chance.
“I think they're taking to that right now.”
The Cardinals beat the Patriots with a solid all-around performance. Kyler Murray completed 23 of 30 passes for 224 yards, James Conner ran for 110 yards and two TDs and the defense played well despite losing two starting linebackers to injury during the first quarter.
“I thought it was efficient," Murray said. “I didn’t think it was unbelievable, but I thought it was efficient. I think the defense did a great job today, they really had our backs.”
Conner continued his fantastic season with another big game. It was his fifth 100-yard outing and it looks as though he'll easily be a 1,000-yard rusher for the second straight season. The 29-year-old was recently signed to a two-year extension through 2026. Running backs usually slow down in their 30s, but Conner seems as if he's getting better with age.
Conner's 53-yard run was vital during the Cardinals' first touchdown drive Sunday.
“He can really do it all,” Gannon said. “He can run wide zone, inside zone, gap schemes, he can do it from the gun, from under, from pistol. He doesn't do any of those bad. And then his style of running, he's a premier player.”
The Cardinals struggled to get into the end zone a little on Sunday, settling for three field goals from Chad Ryland. That was fine against the Patriots, who aren't playing particularly well. But if Arizona hopes to win its last three games and sneak into the playoffs, some of those field goals need to turn into TDs.
WR Greg Dortch has been lost in the shuffle a little this season, but the 5-foot-7 receiver made a handful of nice plays Sunday and finished with three catches for 60 yards. Even one of his mistakes came out OK — he fumbled into the end zone, but right tackle Jonah Williams was there to jump on the ball for a touchdown.
“It’s hard to put a price tag on G," Murray said. "The nuance that he brings. The feel that he has for the game. I don’t think anybody can make anybody miss in a phone booth like he can. You just give him the ball, he calls himself the chain-mover for a reason. When the ball gets in G’s hands, good stuff usually happens.”
WR Marvin Harrison Jr. was paired against Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez for much of the game in an elite matchup. Gonzalez got the best of Harrison on a pair of balls into the end zone, knocking the ball away before a catch could be made. They would have been very tough catches and weren't perfectly thrown balls, but if Harrison's going to be one of the game's top receivers, he probably needs to make at least one of those grabs.
The Cardinals are thin at linebacker after Mack Wilson Sr. (concussion) and Jesse Luketa (thigh) were knocked out of the Patriots' game early in the first quarter. Gannon didn't have updates on either player, but said the team will adjust if needed.
“Anybody who is up on gameday, we feel good about,” Gannon said.
17.9 — That's the average amount of points the Cardinals have allowed in their last eight games. It ranks second in the NFL over that span, trailing only Philadelphia.
The Cardinals have another good opportunity to pick up a win Sunday when they travel to face the Carolina Panthers, who are 3-11.
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New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches from the sidelines against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland (38) celebrates his field goal wit hpunter Michael Palardy (10) during the first half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) runs as New England Patriots cornerback Alex Austin (28) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon watches during the second half of an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner celebrates his touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A teenage student opened fire with a handgun Monday at a Christian school in Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another teenager during the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said.
The shooter also wounded six others at Abundant Life Christian School, including two students who were in critical condition, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. A teacher and three students had been taken to a hospital with less serious injuries, and two of them had been released by Monday evening.
“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.
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, which it had done just before the school year, leaders always announce that it is a drill. That didn’t happen Monday.
“When they heard, ‘Lockdown, lockdown,’ they knew it was real,” she said.
The shooter 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 said the shooter was dead by apparent suicide when officers arrived. Barnes declined to give details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family. With a few rare exceptions, a 17-year-old can't legally possess a gun in Wisconsin.
Barnes said investigators may have enough information to release more detail about the shooter in another press conference later Monday.
He 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.
Abundant Life is a nondenominational Christian school — prekindergarten through high school — with approximately 420 students in Madison, the state capital.
Wiers said the school does not have metal detectors but uses other security measures including cameras.
Children and families were reunited at a medical building about a mile away. Parents pressed children against their chests while others squeezed hands and shoulders as they walked side by side. One girl was comforted with an adult-size coat around her shoulders as she moved to a parking lot teeming with police vehicles.
A motive for the shooting was not immediately known, but Barnes said they’re talking with the parents of the suspected shooter and they are cooperating. He also said he didn't know if the people shot had been targeted.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.
A search warrant had been issued Monday to a Madison home, he said.
Someone from the school called 911 to report an active shooter shortly before 11 a.m. First responders who were in training just 3 miles (5 kilometers) away dashed to the school for an actual emergency, Barnes said. They arrived 3 minutes after the initial call and went into the building immediately.
Classes had been taking place when the shooting happened, Barnes said. He declined to say where exactly in the school it happened.
Investigators believe the shooter used a 9mm pistol, a law enforcement official told the AP. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Police blocked off roads around the school, and federal agents were at the scene to assist local law enforcement. No shots were fired by police.
Abundant Life asked for prayers in a brief Facebook post.
Wiers said the school's goal is to have staff get together early in the week and have community opportunities for students to reconnect before the winter break, but it’s still to be decided whether they will resume classes this week.
Bethany Highman, the mother of a student, rushed to the school and learned over FaceTime that her daughter was OK.
“As soon as it happened, your world stops for a minute. Nothing else matters,” Highman said. “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.”
In a statement, President Joe Biden cited the tragedy in calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and certain gun restrictions.
“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said. He spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and offered his support.
Evers said it's “unthinkable” that a child or teacher would go to school and never return home.
The school shooting was the latest among dozens 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.
Rhodes-Conway said the country needs to do more to prevent gun violence.
“I hoped that this day would never come to Madison,” she said.
This story has been updated to correct that Abundant Life Christian School serves grades prekindergarten through high school, not kindergarten through high school.
Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer, Ed White and Josh Funk and photographer Morry Gash contributed to this report.
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)
A child is embraced at the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (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)
Police walk outside the Abundant Life Christian School following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (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)
A child is embraced at the SSMI Health Center, set up as a reunification center, following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Madison, Wis. (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)
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)
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)
A family leave the shelter after multiple injuries were reported following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
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)
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)
A student gets on a bus for the reunification center after multiple injuries were reported following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
A family leaves the Abundant Life Christian School after a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Emergency vehicles are staged 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)
Bus carrying students leave as 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)
Emergency vehicles are parked outside the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., following a shooting, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Police gather as 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)
Police investigate as 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)
Emergency vehicles are parked outside of the SSM Health clinic where parents are being reunified with children after a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
A police officer directs traffic as 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)
Emergency vehicles are parked outside of the SSM Health clinic where parents are being reunified with children after a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
Bus carrying students leave as 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)
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)
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/Scott Bauer)
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/Scott Bauer)
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/Scott Bauer)
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/Scott Bauer)
