Jeffrey Rupnow Charged After Daughter's Abundant Life School Shooting Kills Teacher Erin West and Student Rubi Vergara

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Updated May 9, 2025, 06:43 AM

Jeffrey Rupnow, 42, also known as Tuttle, was arrested and charged with multiple felonies in connection with his daughter Natalie Rupnow's deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. The charges include contributing to the delinquency of a child and two counts of providing a dangerous weapon to a person under 18 resulting in death. Prosecutors allege that Jeffrey Rupnow purchased semiautomatic pistols for his daughter and allowed her access to them, providing her with the gun safe's access code, which was his Social Security number entered backward. One of the firearms, a .22-caliber Sig Sauer pistol, was reportedly given to Natalie as a Christmas present in 2023. Investigators recovered a 9mm Glock and the Sig Sauer pistol used in the attack, along with 20 shell casings, three magazines, and a 50-round box of 9mm ammunition. Natalie wore a black T-shirt with a bull's-eye during the attack. On December 16, 2024, 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow entered the school and opened fire in a study hall, killing teacher Erin West, 42, and student Rubi Vergara, 14, and injuring six others before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One victim remains hospitalized nearly five months after the attack. Court documents and the criminal complaint state that Natalie had struggled with her parents' divorce, experienced mental health challenges, and developed an obsession with firearms and mass violence. She wrote a manifesto titled 'War Against Humanity,' built a cardboard model of the school, and communicated online about her fascination with shootings. A restraining order was issued against a California man, Alexander Paffendorf, who had messaged with Natalie about violence. Jeffrey Rupnow reportedly saw shooting as a way to bond with his daughter, but later expressed regret for teaching her about firearms. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Friday. The case is the latest in a series of prosecutions against parents of school shooters in the United States.

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