There were 322 school shootings in the United States in 2024, the second highest number since 1966.
Authorities say two people and a child suspected of carrying out the attack were killed in a shooting at a private Christian school in the northern United States.
Monday's shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, also left other people injured and at least five people taken to local hospitals, Madison police said.
Law enforcement authorities have not yet released any information about the victims but said children were among the dead.
The suspected shooter was identified by Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes as a student at the school. Barnes told reporters that police officers who responded to the shooting did not fire their own weapons and found the suspected shooter dead at the scene.
“Today is a sad, sad day, not just for Madison, but for our entire country, as another police chief holds a press conference to talk about violence in our community,” Barnes said. “Every child, every person in this building is a victim and will forever be a victim. Trauma like that doesn’t just go away.”
The shooting took place shortly after 11 a.m. (17:00 GMT). It was initially reported that three people had been killed before Barnes announced the updated death toll.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrived at the scene and assisted local police, who closed streets around the school.
“We are praying for the children, educators and entire Abundant Life school community as we wait for more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond,” Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement .
President Joe Biden has been informed of the incident, the White House said.
According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were 322 school shootings in the U.S. this year, the second-highest number of any year since 1966 — surpassed only by the total of 349 shootings last year.
U.S. polls have consistently shown that the American public wants stricter firearms laws, but politicians are finding it difficult to pass legislation in the face of a strong pro-gun lobby.
