The two victims of Monday’s shooting at a Wisconsin school were formally identified Wednesday by authorities, while two others were still fighting for their lives.
Teacher Erin Michelle West “was a very good person. “She was always very kind and caring, and she was always very friendly and communicative,” said Angel Brube, a seventh-grade student – the equivalent of the first year of high school – who was at the scene at the time of the attack. shooting, at CNN.
Authorities on Wednesday put a face to the two victims of Monday’s attack at the private Abundant Life Christian School (ALCS) in Madison, committed by a 15-year-old student who attended the school, Natalie “Samantha.” Rupnow.
On social networks, testimonies have multiplied to pay tribute to the 42-year-old teacher, as well as to Rubi Patricia Vergara, a 14-year-old student, who also succumbed to “homicidal trauma linked to a firearm », revealed preliminary examinations reported by CBS News.
The two women were pronounced dead at the scene, while six other victims were transported to hospital, including two in critical condition. The perpetrator of the assault was found lifeless at the scene, with self-inflicted wounds, according to police authorities.
Screenshot taken from Facebook
“Her sweet, loving, kind heart was reflected in her smile. Rubi has been a blessing to her class and to our school. She was not only a good friend, but also a wonderful big sister,” lamented the establishment in a press release, according to CBS News.
The student, who had attended the school since kindergarten, was an “avid reader who loved art, sang and played the keyboard,” in addition to sharing “a special bond with her beloved pets, her cat Ginger and her dog Coco,” according to her obituary.
For her part, the teacher had spent three years as a substitute for the school before accepting a position as “sub-coordinator and substitute teacher within the building”, according to the press release.
“Her loss is painful and profound and she will be greatly missed by not only our staff, but our entire ALCS family,” the school continued.
A mother who was very proud of her children, she extended her love to “everyone in our school,” said a second-year student, Mackynzie Wilson, who knew her well and had seen her a few times. hours before the tragedy.
“She was so excited to see her daughters grow up and know what they were going to be and do with their lives. She would have done anything for them… I just wish I could go back and give her a hug,” the young girl told CNN.
