Wisconsin lawmakers and public officials issued statements in response to a shooting at a K-12 Christian school in Madison Monday morning.
A teenage student and teacher were killed at Abundant Life Christian School, and the suspected teenage shooter was found dead, police said Monday afternoon. Six other students are injured, including two students who are in critical condition.
Madison police erroneously reported earlier in the day that five were dead and five were injured.
Many legislators offered thoughts and prayers for the Madison community, while others criticized a lack of action on gun policy by Congress and the state Legislature.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the shooting, according to the White House, and senior White House officials were in touch with local officials in Madison.
Biden issued a statement Monday afternoon, calling on Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
“From Newtown to Uvalde, Parkland to Madison, to so many other shootings that don’t receive attention — it is unacceptable that we are unable to protect our children from this scourge of gun violence. We cannot continue to accept it as normal,” Biden said.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he’s “closely monitoring the incident” and “praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community.”
Evers announced later in the afternoon that he ordered flags to fly half-staff immediately in Wisconsin until Sunday at sunset. In a full statement, he said “there are no words to describe the devastation and heartbreak we feel today.”
“As a father, a grandfather, and as governor, it is unthinkable that a kid or educator might wake up and go to school one morning and never come home. This should never happen, and I will never accept this as a foregone reality or stop working to change it,” Evers said.
Here are more statements from federal, state and local officials in Wisconsin:
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jill Underly issued her second school shooting statement in a seven-month period. As she also emphasized in her first statement in May in Mount Horeb, schools are meant to be safe places.
“Our hearts are heavy with great sorrow as we mourn the senseless loss of life in yet another school shooting,” Underly wrote. “No community should ever face the pain of losing children, teachers, or friends to violence — especially in our schools.”
Underly underscored the need to “do more to protect our children and educators” and present a future “where senseless acts of violence are no longer a reality.”
In a statement, Attorney General Josh Kaul said the state Department of Justice Office of School Safety and Office of Crime Victim Services are providing resources, including helping with reunification and counseling.
“No one should ever have to experience something like this,” Kaul said. “Our Office of School Safety is offering support and will aid the community in recovery. My thoughts and condolences are with every family affected by this tragedy.”
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, whose district includes Madison, said his office is “in touch with local law enforcement and will continue to monitor the situation and offer any assistance we can provide to our first responders.”
On his personal X account, Pocan said to “be ready for the lack of action on guns by this Congress. Sad.” He responded to several Wisconsin Republicans on X, criticizing them for sending “thoughts and prayers” instead of taking “action.”
“‘Thoughts and prayers’ offer comfort to the families and communities affected but have not changed our unique reality as Americans. It’s time for action,” Pocan said in a later statement. “It’s time for my Republican colleagues to grow a backbone and put our children above the gun lobby by passing commonsense gun safety laws that will save countless lives.”
Pocan got into an online exchange with Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, who represents the western part of the state and had criticized Pocan for an earlier tweet Monday about inaction on the Farm Bill.
“There was a shooting at a school in your district a very short time ago, and you choose to play politics with our farmers instead of focusing on hurting families,” Van Orden tweeted. “Absolutely pathetic, @MarkPocan. This is low even for you. Be better.”
Pocan responded: “Be way better. And support better gun laws or stay out. Thought & prayers are useless. Action!”
In a statement on his official account, Van Orden said he was “shocked” by reports of a shooting and that he and his wife are “praying for the students, teachers and families impacted.”
“I will continue to monitor the situation as more information is released and am standing by to assist in any way possible,” Van Orden said.
“My sincere condolences and prayers for all the victims of the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School. I will continue to closely monitor the situation,” Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said on X.
“I have been briefed on the active shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison and my heart goes out to all those impacted. My office is in touch with local and state officials, and I stand ready to assist law enforcement and anyone affected,” Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin said on X.
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Republican who represents southeastern Wisconsin, addressed the shooting on the House floor.
“I’d like to share my heartfelt condolences to the victims of the tragic events that took place at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, this morning,” Steil said. “We continue to monitor this situation, but we are all thankful to the first responders, the men and women of law enforcement, medical professionals who responded and answered the call. And we keep all of them — the first responders, as well as the victims — in our prayers today.”
U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Republican who represents northern Wisconsin, said on X that he and his wife “send our prayers to all affected by the tragedy at Abundant Life Christian School.”
“We are grateful for our first responders, and we will continue to monitor the situation as more details become available,” Tiffany said.
Gabrielle Giffords, a former congresswoman and founder of a national gun violence prevention organization, released a statement.
“Just days after we remembered the 26 lives lost at Sandy Hook Elementary School, another school community has been subjected to the terror of a mass shooting in Madison,” Giffords said. “Students deserve to attend school free from gun violence, but in our country, it is the number one killer of children — a devastating, preventable tragedy that demands action from our elected leaders.”
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard in a statement said the community was “reeling” from the shooting and committed to providing resources to the school, students and families.
“No community should ever have to endure such a tragedy,” she said. “My administration will do everything in its power to provide assistance in the face of this devastating loss. To all those grieving, please know that you are not alone. Dane County stands with you, and we are here to support you in any way possible. I have been in communication with the Governor’s office as well as the Mayor of Madison’s office and we will continue to update the public as we learn more.”
At an afternoon press briefing, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said she hoped “this day would never come in Madison.”
“I am on record that I think we need to do better in our country and our community to prevent gun violence,” Rhodes-Conway said. “It is not something that any mayor, any fire chief, any police chief, any person in public office ever wants to have to deal with.”
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican from Rochester, said “today’s tragedy is shocking, senseless and heartbreaking.”
“My thoughts and prayers are with the students, parents and faculty who will have to live with the trauma and grief of this day for the rest of their lives,” Vos said. “There are no words to adequately express condolences to those who have lost loved ones or to express gratitude for the first responders who were on scene for this violence.”
State Rep. Lisa Subeck, a Democrat who represents Madison in the state Legislature, said “parents should be able to send their kids to school and know that they will be safe.”
“Today, our community grieves for the lives lost in this heartbreaking tragedy. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” she said.
State Rep. Jerry O’Connor, a Republican who represents Fond du Lac, said his great-niece and great-nephew are students at the school and “I am thankful that they are safe.”
“I am grateful to law enforcement and all first responders for their efforts today. My family and I extend our deepest sympathies to all those impacted by this horrible tragedy. The families of all of Abundant Life students will be in our prayers. I will continue to monitor all developments as they become available,” O’Connor said.
State Sen. Kelda Roys, a Democrat whose district includes the school, said “guns are the number one cause of death for American children, and that is a policy choice.”
“Right now, it’s hard to think of a greater moral failing as a nation and society than our inaction and unwillingness to keep our children safe from gun violence,” Roys said in a statement. “In this next legislative session, we can and must come together to pass reasonable gun safety measures to reduce firearm injuries and deaths.”
On X, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said his “heart is heavy following the shooting at a Madison school. I can’t imagine the pain for families, teachers and students.”
“Legislators at the State Capitol and at the U.S. Capitol have to stop wringing their hands. There are changes they can make that will help reduce gun violence in schools,” Johnson said.
On X, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the “tragedy we are witnessing unfold in Madison is horrifying. I’m praying for the victims, their families, and the Madison community during this tragic time.”
“Gun violence anywhere is a threat to everyone in Wisconsin. We must continue working to end gun violence, foster safer neighborhoods and save lives,” Crowley said.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers addressed the shooting at the beginning of an NBA Cup press conference Monday.
“Not a lot to say, just a shame that this keeps happening,” Rivers said. “Kids can’t go to school safe, and it just seems like we don’t do anything about it.”
Journal Sentinel reporters Lawrence Andrea and Natalie Eilbert contributed to this story.
