New York, US, Dec 16 (EFE).- At least three people were killed, including the gunman, in a shooting at a Christian school in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin (United States) on Monday, and six others were wounded and taken to hospitals, authorities said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told a news conference that when officers arrived at Abundant Life Christian School shortly before 11 am, they found multiple victims with gunshot wounds.
Barnes stressed that the officers did not fire their weapons, but found the suspect, who they said was a student at the center, already dead.
“They found the person responsible who was down, deceased,” the chief said.
He did not specify whether the victims were students or school employees, adding that the wounded had injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
In an earlier briefing, the police said that the shooter had killed four students, but the department clarified that number in an update.
Abundant Life, a private institution with nearly 400 students from preschool through high school, asked its Facebook followers for prayers.
Barnes said police frequently prepare for such cases, most recently two weeks ago, and that they had followed all protocols when the alert was activated, such as notifying and locking down nearby schools and conducting searches with specialized bomb-sniffing canine patrols.
“I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas. Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever,” the chief lamented.
The governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers, said on the social network X that he was “closely monitoring the incident.”
“We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” he added. EFE
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