Tragedy struck Madison, Wisconsin, when Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow shot multiple people, including teachers and students, at Abundant Life Christian School, before turning the gun on herself. Parents were horrified to learn about the shooting, hoping that their children were not among the injured or dead. Now, the testimony of a second grader present at the school sheds more heartbreak on an already sad event.
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Nora Gottschalk, an eight-year-old second grader, was at the school when Rupnow began shooting. "I was getting ready for lunch, and it was basically lunchtime," she said, according to Channel 3000. "I just heard shouting and there was a teacher named Mrs. Slater, and she was like 'My leg! Help! Help!'"
As the school began lockdown, she recalls feeling "really scared" and "really sad." However, despite the tragic nature of the event, there was still a place for some heroism to be had. One of the school's students, Noah, according to Nora, risked his life by closing a curtain to conceal the students from the shooter. "He risked his life to put the black curtain down," Nora said.
A Father's Worst Fear
While the lockdown was taking place, Nora's father, Karl Gottschalk, found out about the shooting. "I was on my way to work, and I was moving out of the way for ambulances and police to move out of the way," Karl said. "At the same time, I ended up getting a text from my kid's school saying that there was an active shooting."
Karl Gottschalk became scared quickly as he saw a multitude of ambulances all around the neighborhood. For a moment, he thought one of his children, including Nora Gottschalk, could have become a victim of the shooting. However, after waiting for hours at the unification center, Karl reunited with his children, all safe.
"It's going to take a lot of time and, you know, just a lot of consoling for everybody in the community," Karl said. "We're all back and we are going to go home and be safe and hold each other."
There are three confirmed deaths following the Madison shooting. These include a teacher, a student, and the shooter. Moreover, there are multiple injured individuals, including children, currently in critical condition.
