Community in Madison, Wisconsin, Gathers to Mourn Abundant Life Christian School Shooting Victim

U.S.|‘A Gift to Everyone’: A Wisconsin Community Mourns a School Shooting Victim

Just this past week, Rubi Patricia Vergara was at a craft fair with her family to support her best friend, who was selling handmade necklaces and keychains. Rubi, who loved arts and crafts, bought the most expensive item, and then skipped around the fair with her friend, Josie Hughes. At the end of the day, the two girls hugged goodbye, saying they would see each other soon.

The next day, Rubi’s life was cut short. A shooter attacked her school, Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis., on Monday, and Rubi, a 14-year-old freshman, and a staff member were killed at the scene, while six others were wounded. The shooter, a 15-year-old student, also died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the authorities.

On Saturday, family and friends gathered for a memorial service for Rubi at her family’s church. Speakers at the service remembered her as a kind, music-loving teenager with a strong faith in God.

“Rubi was, in every sense, a gift to everyone who had the privilege of knowing her,” said Abbey Staum, Josie’s mother. “She had an incredible ability to bring joy, humor and thoughtfulness to the people she cared for,” she added.

The shooting took place on the last full week of classes before the holiday break. Emergency responders arrived within minutes of receiving a call from a second-grade teacher inside the school. Officials identified Natalie Rupnow, who went by Samantha, as the shooter, and said she had used a handgun in the attack. Investigators are still looking for a clear motive.