Teen Student, Teacher Killed in Wisconsin School Shooting

WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Bernama-UPI) -- A teenage student and a teacher are dead after Monday's mass shooting at a small, private Christian school in southeast Wisconsin, the United Press International (UPI) reported.

At least two students are hospitalised in critical condition. Police say the shooter was a teen girl, who was also found dead at the school.

Police say the suspected shooter, who was a 17 year-old girl and a student at the school, died of a self-inflicted gunshot, a law enforcement source told CNN.

She was on campus at the beginning of the day.

"We believe that the shooter was at school. We have no information that there was some type of breach to the school," said Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Barnes said the shooter's family is cooperating with police and investigators are still working to determine a motive.

The shooting was "confined to one space," Barnes added, but said it was not clear if the shootings occurred inside a classroom or hallway.

Abundant Life Christian School revealed Monday it does not have a resource office or metal detectors, but does have cameras in hallways that are monitored through the main office.

"We also have other safety measures throughout the building. But as to a metal detector, no, we do not have," said Barbara Wiers, the director of elementary and school relations at the K-12 school.

"We do abide by the policy of visual scans every morning as students come into the building, so every student is visually scanned before they into ... up to their locker spaces or into their classrooms," Wiers added. The school had trained with the Madison Police Department earlier this year on how to respond to an active shooter situation.

United States (US) President Joe Biden issued a statement Monday afternoon saying, "We need Congress to act. Now," and called the shooting "shocking and unconscionable."

"Jill and I are praying for all the victims today, including the teacher and teenage student who were killed and those who sustained injuries.

"We can never accept the senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families and tears entire communities apart," Biden said.

Biden also called on Congress to pass commonsense gun safety laws.

-- BERNAMA-UPI