MADISON, Wis. — Authorities have charged the father of a teenage girl involved in a tragic school shooting that left two dead and several injured with allowing her access to firearms used in the attack. Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, faces serious allegations as prosecutors allege he enabled his daughter, Natalie Rupnow, to obtain the semiautomatic pistols she used during the incident in December.
The criminal complaint filed against Rupnow outlines a tumultuous background leading up to the shooting. Natalie, just 15, reportedly struggled with her parents’ divorce, expressing deep-seated anger and despair in a piece titled “War Against Humanity.” The complaint reveals that despite her turmoil, her father attempted to bond with her through firearms, inadvertently fueling her violent intentions.
On the morning of December 16, Natalie entered Abundant Life Christian School in Madison and opened fire in a study hall, fatally shooting teacher Erin West and 14-year-old student Rubi Bergara before taking her own life. Investigators found 20 shell casings at the scene, along with two handguns linked to Rupnow, further highlighting the access the teenager had to dangerous weapons.
Rupnow was arrested early Thursday and is scheduled for his initial court appearance. He reportedly cooperated fully with investigators, who noted that he had previously secured the firearms in a safe, intended for protection and family bonding. However, the complaint states he had told her the code to access the weapons was his Social Security number, reversed—an oversight he later lamented.
The court documents reflect Natalie’s struggles, with her father explaining that she had experienced significant emotional distress, including self-harm, amid the dissolution of his marriage. Natalie’s mother, Melissa Rupnow, corroborated that their daughter had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from family issues. Witness accounts suggest a fraught father-daughter relationship, with one friend describing Jeffrey as “frequently verbally aggressive,” and Natalie expressing fear of his drinking habits.
The chilling details of Natalie’s planning were also revealed to authorities. In her room, detectives discovered a six-page manifesto, detailing her disdain for humanity and admiration for past school shooters, alongside meticulous blueprints for her attack. The document specified a timeline for the shooting and concluded with ominous notes about her intended actions.
In an unsettling twist, the day before the shooting, her father had allowed her to handle one of the firearms for cleaning without securing it back afterward. His admission of regret for teaching her gun safety underscores a broader discussion about parental responsibility in relation to children’s access to weapons. In a message to a detective following the tragedy, he stated that changing gun safe combinations regularly could prevent similar accidents in the future, expressing a desire to protect other families from experiencing his loss.
This case has added to the growing scrutiny surrounding parental accountability in school shootings, with recent history showing several parents facing legal consequences for their children’s actions. The charge against Rupnow raises crucial questions about the responsibility adults hold in ensuring firearms do not end up in the hands of minors, particularly those showing signs of distress or instability.