Three killed, six injured in school shooting by teen student in US’s Wisconsin

Three people were killed and six others injured after a student opened fire at a school in Madison in the US’s Wisconsin on Monday, police said.

The shooter, identified as a 17-year-old girl student at the same institution, Abundant Life Christian School, was also killed in the incident. She was ‘found dead’ when the officers arrived, police said.

The two other victims were a teacher and another teenage student.

Earlier, the police reported that five people were killed in the incident, but the numbers were revised later.

The suspect opened fire at the Wisonsin school in the final week before Christmas break. Police told the news agency AP that the shooter was a 17-year-old girl, and officials are yet to identify the motive behind the shooting.

“At this time, three people are deceased. During the media briefing earlier this afternoon, it was erroneously shared that five were deceased. Again, three people are deceased. Nine in total were injured, including the three deceased,” Madison police said.

The White House stated that President Joe Biden has been briefed on the developments and prevailing security situation. Biden called it a “shocking and unconscionable” incident and called for immediate action by the US Congress.

This was the country’s 35th mass killing this year.

Video posted from the scene on social media showed a massive emergency response, including police, ambulance and fire vehicles.

Abundant Life Christian School is a non-denominational Christian institution that has about 390 students, from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.

WE NEED CONGRESS TO ACT, NOW: BIDEN

President Joe Biden called the shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School “shocking and unconscionable” in a statement Monday.

“We need Congress to act. Now,” he said.

“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,” the President asserted.

“Every child deserves to feel safe in their class room. Students across our country should be learning how to read and write – not having to learn how to duck and cover,” he added.

Gun control and school safety have become major political and social issues in the US where the number of school shootings has jumped in recent years.

There have been 322 school shootings this year in the US, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database website. That is the second-highest total of any year since 1966, according to that database – topped only by last year’s total of 349 such shootings.

(With inputs from agencies)