An individual was apprehended on suspicion of conspiring with a teenage girl who carried out a mass shooting that resulted in the deaths of two individuals at a private Christian school in Wisconsin.
The accused, Alexander Paffendorf, 20, reportedly exchanged text messages with the shooter, Natalie Rupnow, 15, during the incident at the Abundant Life Christian school in Madison on Monday.
Paffendorf was taken into custody in Carlsbad, California on Tuesday. According to court records obtained by the CBS affiliate KFMB-TV, he allegedly discussed with Rupnow a plan to target a government facility.
FBI agents revealed he admitted to them that he had told Rupnow he would arm himself with explosives and a gun.
Locals said as many as 15 cops swooped on his home as part of their probe.
“They had their full guns out all over the street,” resident Alex Gallegos said.
The arrest came as the victims of Monday’s shooting were identified.
Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, was identified as the student who was killed.
She was an avid reader and loved art, singing, and playing the keyboard in a local worship band, a family obit revealed.
Relatives said the teen had a special bond with her pets.
The second victim of the shooting was teacher Erin West, 42.
West was a substitute teacher at the Wisconsin school.
Rupnow was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.
Six people were injured, with two students thought to be in a critical condition.
A teacher and three other students suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The shooting was reported just before 11am on Monday.
It was thought a second-grade student called 911 before cops clarified that it was a second-grade teacher who actually made the call.
Rupnow opened fire inside a study hall that contained students of different ages, according to police.
Within minutes of the 911 call being made, cops had swooped on the school.
They found the shooter down and recovered a gun.
Police are still probing how Rupnow managed to get hold of the gun, believed to be a 9mm pistol.
Students were told to lock down as the chaos unfolded around them.
The shooting sparked a huge probe, and investigators revealed they were probing a manifesto-type document that may have belonged to the shooter.
Swat teams combed Rupnow’s home, located around eight miles from the school, and hurled stun grenades inside the property.
This is a developing story…
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