Man, 20, arrested for ‘plotting mass shooting’ with school shooter Natalie Rupnow as he makes chilling admission to FBI
A MAN has been arrested after being accused of plotting a mass shooting with the female teen shooter who killed two at a private Christian school in Wisconsin.
Alexander Paffendorf, 20, allegedly texted shooter Natalie Rupnow, 15, around the time of the rampage at the Abundant Life Christian school in Madison on Monday.
Paffendorf was arrested in Carlsbad, California, on Tuesday, and court documents seen by the CBS affiliate KFMB-TV revealed he told Rupnow about a potential attack on a government building.
FBI agents revealed he admitted he had told Rupnow about arming himself with explosives and a gun.
Locals said as many as 15 cops swooped on his home as part of their probe.
“They had their full guns out all over the street,” resident Alex Gallegos said.
Gallegos said he saw cops carry out a large gun box from the home.
The arrest came as the victims of Monday’s shooting were identified.
Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, was identified as the student who was killed.
She was an avid reader and loved art, singing, and playing the keyboard in a local worship band, a family obit revealed.
Relatives said the teen had a special bond with her pets.
The second victim of the shooting was teacher Erin West, 42.
West was a substitute teacher at the Wisconsin school.
Rupnow was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.
Six people were injured, with two students thought to be in a critical condition.
A teacher and three other students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Shon Barnes, the Madison Police Chief, told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he believes those who were injured are still alive.
He revealed he had not been receiving regular updates thanks to state privacy laws.
Abundant Life Christian School shooting timeline
On December 16, a student at Abundant Life Christian School opened fire on the private K-12 school in Madison, Wisconsin. Below is a timeline of the events that unfolded:
10:57 am – A second-grade student calls 911 to report the shooting
11:00 am – Cops arrive on the scene and immediately enter the school
11:05 am – Cops find the shooter down and recover the gun
11:14 am – School is started to be cleared
11:20 am – Public safety alert is sent out to nearby phones
11:38 pm – Madison Police Department confirms multiple people are injured
12:15 pm – Cops hold a press conference and confirm three people are dead, including the shooter, and at least six others injured
12:38 pm – Abundant Life Christian School requests prayers on Facebook
2:30 pm – At a second press conference, cops confirm the shooter was a teen who attended the school
8:30 pm – Cops confirm shooter was student Natalie Rupnow, 15, who died while being transported to the hospital
The shooting was reported just before 11am on Monday.
It was thought a second-grade student called 911 before cops clarified that it was a second-grade teacher who actually made the call.
Rupnow opened fire inside a study hall that contained students of different ages, according to police.
Within minutes of the 911 call being made, cops had swooped on the school.
They found the shooter down and recovered a gun.
Police are still probing how Rupnow managed to get hold of the gun, believed to be a 9mm pistol.
Students were told to lock down as the chaos unfolded around them.
The shooting sparked a huge probe, and investigators revealed they were probing a manifesto-type document that may have belonged to the shooter.
Swat teams combed Rupnow’s home, located around eight miles from the school, and hurled stun grenades inside the property.
Police have still not revealed a motive behind the shooting.
But pictures have since emerged that showed Rupnow wearing a shirt linked to the Columbine killers.
In the snap shared by her dad, Jeff, she was seen aiming a gun and sporting a black t-shirt that promoted the band KMFDM.
Eric Harris, one of the two Columbine shooters, was seen wearing a similar t-shirt ahead of the massacre.
“Identifying a motive is our top priority, but this time, it appears that the motive was a combination of factors,” Barnes said.
What to know about Abundant Life Christian School shooting
Three people are dead after a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16.
Cops say student Natalie Rupnow, 15, stormed campus with a 9mm pistol and killed a teacher and student before turning the gun on herself.
Six others, believed to be all students, were wounded and two were in critical condition. They’ve since been stabilized.
A total of 420 students are enrolled at the K-12 Christian school.
It serves about 200 families from 56 different churches on its 28-acre campus, according to the academy’s website.
The tragedy unfolded in the last few days before students were released for Christmas break.
This is a developing story…
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