Revealed: Chilling social media post of Wisconsin Christian school shooter's father
17 December 2024, 17:11 | Updated: 17 December 2024, 17:19
The father of Wisconsin school shooter Natalie Rupnow previously shared an image of one his daughters at a shooting range in a T-shirt similar to one worn by the Columbine school shooters.
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Rupnow, 15, who also went by Samantha, killed a substitute teacher and a teenage student, and wounded six others with a 9mm pistol at Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, before reportedly turning the gun on herself.
A chilling image has now surfaced from the Facebook of Rupnow's father Jeff, which was posted in August and shows one of his daughters pointing a shotgun at a clay pigeon while wearing a top with the name of the band KMFDM.
Columbine killer Eric Harris was infamously seen wearing a KMFDM T-shirt ahead of the 1999 Colorado high school massacre where he and Dylan Klebold murdered 13 people.
It is unclear if Natalie is the one pictured given it is unknown if she has siblings but Jeff referred to the girl in the image as 'kiddo' in the comments of the post.
He was asked by a friend if it was "Kiddo" in the image and replied: “Sure is!!!! Joined NBSC this spring and we have been loving every second of it."
The NBSC - or North Bristol Sportsman's Club - is a gun club in Sun Prairie, a suburb of Madison, offering annual family memberships for $90, according to its website.
The club was founded in 1970 and has more than 600 members. The Rupnows' alleged membership has not yet been confirmed by the club.
Observers noticed the girl in the Facebook post was wearing a t-shirt of the German industrial rock band KMFDM, who were idolised by Columbine killers Harris and Klebold.
The pair shot and killed 12 students and one teacher in the attack. CCTV footage showed the armed killers walking around the school's cafeteria during the mass killing.
They injured 21 others while three more were hurt while attempting to escape the school. The pair subsequently killed themselves before they could be caught.
A website belonging to Harris featured lyrics from KMFDM songs and speeches by Adolf Hitler. They were also photographed wearing the band's shirts.
At the time of the shooting, the group released a statement denouncing the shooting and Nazism.
Rupnow's motive is not yet clear. The next police press conference is expected on Tuesday afternoon.
The victims have not yet been named, and nor has the child who raised the alarm.
Soon after the mass shooting unfolded on Monday, police said they believe the attack was premeditated, and a source told CNN that Rupnow “had been dealing with problems and expressed some of those in writings, which they are now reviewing”.
Asked about the text posted online that is purported to have been authored by Rupnow, Police Chief Shon Barnes said: "We haven't been able to verify that it's authentic.
"We're certainly aware that it's been posted and the person who posted it alleged to have a connection."
Rupnow's family has been co-operating with the investigation. Local media reported that a property north of Madison was raided on Monday.
Rupnow was present from the start of the school day on Monday and eventually opened fire on a study hall full of students from various grades, Chief Barnes said.
Investigators believe Rupnow used a 9mm pistol to carry out her attack, a law enforcement official told AP.
