Abundant Life Christian School Shooting Sparks Divided Opinions

On Monday, 15-year-old Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, leaving three dead.

From the Left: In the Los Angeles Times (Lean Left bias) a trio of professors argued that while female shooters are rare, many of the other details about the Wisconsin school shooter are consistent with other shooters—a student is in crisis and has easy access to guns. "School shootings should not be remembered for the novelty of any of their details, but as reminders of what we already know and what we can prevent," they said. Other Center and Lean Left writers argued that the school shooting garnered less outrage than the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO two weeks prior and the Wisconsin school shooting will soon be forgotten like other school shootings, but we should treat all lives equally and avoid normalizing shootings. 

From the Right: Voices on the right were more likely to focus on President Biden's response to the shooting. Biden called for increased gun control including universal background checks, national red flag laws, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Multiple writers pointed out that the shooter was 15 and did not purchase a gun herself, so background checks and red flag laws would not have prevented the shooting, and the shooter used a handgun not an assault weapon. After high-profile shootings, Democrats "roll out these tired talking points that do not apply," a writer argued. Commentators also pointed out what they perceive as hypocrisy after Biden recently pardoned his own son of federal gun charges.