Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, has been charged with multiple felonies after his 15-year-old daughter, Natalie Rupnow, carried out a deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 16, 2024. The attack resulted in the deaths of teacher Erin Michelle West, 42, and student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, and left six others injured before Natalie took her own life.
Prosecutors allege that Rupnow provided his daughter with access to the firearms used in the shooting—a 9mm Glock pistol and a .22-caliber Sig Sauer pistol. He faces two counts of intentionally giving a dangerous weapon to a person under 18, causing death, and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a child.
According to the criminal complaint, Rupnow purchased the Sig Sauer pistol as a Christmas gift for his daughter in 2023, when she was 14 years old. He also reportedly gave her the combination to his gun safe, which was his Social Security number reversed. Investigators found that Natalie had unrestricted access to the firearms, despite her documented mental health struggles, including self-harm and a diagnosis of PTSD.
Evidence recovered from Natalie’s bedroom included a six-page manifesto titled “War Against Humanity,” maps of the school, and a detailed schedule of the planned attack. The manifesto expressed hatred toward people who “don’t care” and criticized her father’s behavior, including substance use.
Rupnow admitted to investigators that he attempted to bond with his daughter through firearms, taking her to shooting ranges and purchasing weapons for her. He expressed regret over these actions, acknowledging that his efforts may have contributed to the tragic outcome.
This case is part of a growing trend where prosecutors hold parents legally accountable for their children’s involvement in school shootings. Similar cases include the parents of the Oxford, Michigan, high school shooter, who were convicted of involuntary manslaughter, and the father of a 14-year-old boy in Georgia who faces charges for providing his son with a weapon used in a school shooting.
