Wisconsin school shooting latest: Natalie Rupnow ‘received texts’ from man plotting government building attack
Alexander Paffendorf has been detained by the FBI, while teacher Erin Michelle West and student Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, have been identified as those killed in the attack
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A California man has been detained and had his guns seized after allegedly texting Wisconsin school shooter Natalie Rupnow about his plans to blow up a government building.
Alexander Paffendorf, 20, was issued a gun-violence restraining order and detained by FBI agents after he was accused of messaging the 15-year-old shooter around the time of her attack on the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison on Monday.
The Carlsbad resident allegedly told Rupnow that he “would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” according to a two-page restraining order obtained by CBS 8.
It comes as the teacher and student who lost their lives in the school shooting were identified by police. Six others were left injured, two with life-threatening wounds, and Rupnow died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Erin Michelle West, 42, and Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, were identified on Wednesday evening as the deceased. Vergara was a freshman at the school and “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” according to the obituary released on Wednesday evening.
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Rubi Vergara, 14, named as student gunned down in Wisconsin school shooting
Wisconsin school shooting: What we know about ‘turbulent’ life of 15-year-old killer Natalie Rupnow- Younger, female and Midwestern: How Natalie Rupnow defied the typical descriptions of a school shooter
‘She was a really good person’: Seventh-grade student laments loss of slain teacher
A seventh-grader from Abundant Life Christian School described the slain teacher as a “kind and caring” person.
Teacher Erin Michelle West, 42, was identified on Wednesday evening as one the victims who died on Monday.
Angel Brube, who was inside the Madison, Wisconsin, school at the time of the shooting said on Tuesday that he had been taught by the slain teacher, without specifically naming her, “many times before”.
“The teacher, yes I did know her. And she was a really good person,” he told CNN.
“She was always very kind and caring and she was always very friendly and communicative.”
Parents praise ‘tightknit’ school for its ‘welcoming’ environment
As they reel from Monday’s shooting, parents whose children are enrolled at the Abundant Life Christian School have praised it for fostering a “tightknit” environment.
“We’re all a family, and we all know each other, whether they’re in the same grade or not,” Karl Gottschalk, who has three children enrolled at the school, told the New York Times. “It’s never been a concern that something like this would happen since this is such a small, religious school.”
“It’s a very tightknit community with not only excellent academics, but our love for Jesus and trust in God is the foundation,” Hannah Lease, whose two sons attend the school, told the outlet. “That’s what keeps us going during this time.”
Nick Cardarella, whose wife works at the school, added: “It’s come as you are. There is that religious element, but they’re not pushy in any kind of way.”
“It’s starting to be a big school, but we feel very connected,” Michelet Jean-Charles, who moved to Wisconsin from Haiti, said. “We feel that we can trust everyone at the school — the kids, their parents. We give hugs, we shake hands.”
What we know about the victims
Teacher Erin West, 42, and student Rubi Vergara, 14, have been named as the victims who were killed after 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow opened fire.
The teenager also died during the incident from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
As tributes continue to come in for the pair, read what we do know about the victims so far.
What to know about the Wisconsin school shooting victims
Police are yet to officially name the two following a second press conference on Tuesday
Madison school shooter pictured with shotgun at firing range just months before deadly rampage
The father of school shooter Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who killed two people and wounded six others at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, encouraged the 15-year-old to practice her weapons-handling skills in the months leading up to Monday’s bloodshed, according to a review of his online activity.
In August, Jeff Rupnow - who was unable to be reached on Tuesday - posted a photograph on Facebook of what appears to be his shotgun-wielding daughter shooting clay pigeons at a local gun club.
“Is that kiddo?” a friend commented.
“Sure is!!!!” Rupnow replied. “We joined NBSC this spring and we have been loving all [sic] every second of it!”
The North Bristol Sportsman’s Club, or NBSC, is located in Sun Prairie, a suburb of 35,000 roughly 20 miles northeast of Madison. Individual memberships cost $75 yearly, and family memberships go for $90, plus an annual rifle/pistol range premium of $25. The NBSC youth program welcomes kids as young as 9, according to the club’s website.
Read the full story.
School shooter pictured with shotgun at firing range 4 months prior to deadly attack
Natalie Rupnow, 15, shot clay pigeons while wearing a t-shirt similar to one closely associated with Columbine mass shooter Eric Harris
WATCH: Little girl reveals horror inside Wisconsin school during shooting
Poignant tribute paid to Rubi Vergara
The family of the student who was killed in the shooting shared a poignant tribute to her this evening.
In an obituary,14-year-old Rubi Vergara was described as a talented musician who cared for animals.
“She was an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” the obituary read. “She shared a special bond with her beloved pets, Ginger (cat) and Coco (dog).”
Her funeral will take place on Saturday.
Read more below.
California judge issues restraining order against 20-year-old man
A California judge issued a restraining order Tuesday under California’s gun red flag law against a 20-year-old Carlsbad man.
The order requires the man to turn his guns and ammunition into police within 48 hours unless an officer asks for them sooner because he poses an immediate danger to himself and others. According to the order, the man told FBI agents that he had been messaging Natalie Rupnow, the Wisconsin shooter, about attacking a government building with a gun and explosives.
The order doesn’t say what building he had targeted or when he planned to launch his attack.
It also doesn’t detail his interactions with Rupnow except to state that the man was plotting a mass shooting with her.
California man ‘had been texting Natalie Rupnow’ - reports
According to a gun violence restraining order issued Tuesday and obtained by CBS 8 in San Diego, FBI agents detained Alexander Paffendorf after discovering that Paffendorf had been texting 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow around the time of the shooting when she opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, killing a student and a teacher.
Paffendorf was allegedly attempting to coordinate an attack at a government building in San Diego during the shooting. The building was not immediately identified.
“During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun and that he would target a government building,” reads the two-page restraining orde, CBS 8 reported.
Paffendorf was seized Tuesday night after a San Diego Superior Court Judge approved the restraining order against him
Neigbors told CBS 8 that some 12 police cars descended on the housing complex where Paffendorf lives.
“They had their full guns out all over the street,” neighbor Alex Gallegos told CBS 8. “There were cop cars. I’d say about 15 cops here.”
Both the Madison Police Department and FBI San Diego declined to comment when approached by The Independent.
Madison police share statement following identification of victims
The Madison Police Department has shared a statement following the identification of the two victims of the shooting.
Rubi Vergara, 14, was named in an obituary on Wednesday evening and Erin West, 42, was named by the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“Our department is committed to transparency and will continue to release information that can be used to improve public safety,” the statement said.
“This must be balanced, however, with our commitment to the victims and survivors of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. Two people died and six others were injured during this shooting. Additionally, evidence suggests the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“This incident has now entered the investigation phase, and the information we can release is limited. This phase takes time. We recognize people have questions, and we will answer them in due time. Until then we ask you keep the victims and survivors in mind and respect their right to privacy.”
BREAKING: Man, 20, detained in California ‘in connection to Madison school shooting' - reports
A 20-year-old man in California has been detained “in connection to the Madison school shooting”, according to a report by CBS 8.
According to the report, the man from Carlsbad, near San Diego, was in contact with Natalie Rupnow and “coordinating an attack at a local government building.”
Madison Police Department directed The Independent to the FBI when contacted for further information.
The Independent has contacted the FBI in San Diego.