Teacher killed in Wisconsin school shooting identified as Erin Michelle West
Teacher Erin West, 42, and student Rubi Vergara, 14, have been named as the victims who were killed in Monday’s shooting
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The teacher who was killed in the Wisconsin school shooting has been named as 42-year-old Erin Michelle West, the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Wednesday night.
West was a substitute coordinator at Abundant Life Christian School, according to the school’s staff directory, the Journal Sentinelreported.
Earlier on Wednesday evening Rubi Vergara, 14, was named as the student who was killed in the deadly attack on Monday.
Police identified 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow as the shooter at the Christian school, but have yet to reveal a motive following the violence.
West and Vergara were both pronounced dead at the scene.
The medical examiner’s office confirmed to The Independent that West and Vergara died due to gunshot wounds.
Their deaths remain under investigation by the Madison Police Department and the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Charles Moore, the leader of Madison Christian schools, told the Sentinel at a vigil on Tuesday night that the community was in complete shock.
“It’s hard to comprehend the shock,” Moore said. “There are still some very, very injured children in the hospital. It doesn’t end on the first day, in the first couple of minutes. Lives have been torn apart.”
The school will remain closed until after the Christmas break, Moore confirmed.
The Madison Police Department shared a statement following the identification of the two victims of the shooting.
“Our department is committed to transparency and will continue to release information that can be used to improve public safety,” the statement posted on Facebook said.
“This must be balanced, however, with our commitment to the victims and survivors of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison. Two people died and six others were injured during this shooting. Additionally, evidence suggests the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Police added that the incident is now in the investigation phase and information released will be “limited.”
“This phase takes time,” the statement added. “We recognize people have questions, and we will answer them in due time. Until then we ask you keep the victims and survivors in mind and respect their right to privacy.”
Police had previously refused to reveal the identities of the victims.
When pressed about their identities at a Tuesday press conference, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway told reporters that it was “absolutely none of y’all’s business who was harmed in this incident.”