A 14-year-old girl and a 42-year-old teacher who were shot and killed in Monday’s school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, have now been publicly identified for the first time.
Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, was one of two people shot and killed at Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, according to an obituary published by a Madison funeral home.
Vergara was described by her family as an “avid reader” who loved creating artwork, singing and playing keyboard.
The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office also confirmed the identity of 42-year-old Erin West, who was a teacher at the school.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Officials say both Vergara and West were pronounced dead at the scene. The accused shooter in the attack was taken to an area hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Authorities believe a 15-year-old girl opened fire inside the school Monday morning. A teacher was also killed in the shooting, according to authorities. At least six other individuals were injured, according to police.
Police responded to the scene within minutes of receiving a 911 call, but when they arrived the shooter had died of what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
U.S. & World
Detectives talked with family members of the shooter Monday evening and searched the shooter’s home in Madison as they worked to determine a motive, officials said.
Abundant Life Christian School serves kindergarten through high school students, and has an enrollment of 420 students.
The suspect was identified as a student at the school, according to Madison police.
A number of students, parents and community members were left asking questions as the search for a possible motive commenced.
"I was scared and why did they do that, why?" said one student, Adler Jean Charles.
Adler said gunshots erupted while he was in English class.
"We heard them and then some people started crying and then we just waited til the police came," he said.
For hours, Adler and his classmates waited at a nearby medical clinic used for a reunification center. His mother told NBC Chicago about the moment she recognized her children were safe.
"It’s joyful and tearful at the same time," said Mireille Jean Charles, the mother of Adler and two other students. "Because one of them could be there dying … all three of them got out safely which is a blessing, and I am not taking it for granted."
"This is not okay," Mireille Jean Charles added. "If your kids are at school they are not okay. If they are at church, they are not okay. If they are outside, they are not okay. Where are they going to be safe?"
