A Manifesto Allegedly Written by Suspected School Shooter Natalie Rupnow Has Been Circulating Online

Although it's tenuous, some think the December 2024 school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wis. could have been inspired by the April 1999 Columbine shootings. Natalie Rupnow is the individual believed to be behind the incident in Wisconsin that left two people dead and six injured. The 15-year-old girl then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The shaky connection comes in the form of a t-shirt Rupnow is wearing in a photo posted to her father's Facebook.

While skeet shooting at a sportsman's club, Rupnow is clad in a KMFDM t-shirt. It's the same t-shirt Columbine shooter Eric Harris was seen wearing in old videos. This might not be the only thing they have in common, as Harris and his accomplice, Dylan Klebold, left behind journals that have since been described as manifestos. Evidently, Rupnow might have one as well. Here's what we know.

In a news conference held the day after the shooting, Madison police chief Shon Barnes said, "A document about this shooting is circulating at this time on social media, but we have not verified its authenticity." Not only are authorities still looking for a motive, but they are also investigating how Rupnow obtained the handgun used in the shooting.

Screenshots of the unverified manifesto were shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @Slatzism, who says they obtained the document from a boy claiming to be Rupnow's long-distance boyfriend. The two reportedly met via social media but had not met in real life. It's titled "War Against Humanity" and is six pages long. In a thread, @Slatzism summarizes the alleged manifesto and shares screenshots of it in full.

In this document, the author says they had previously tried to commit suicide but felt the shooting was "better for evolution rather than just one stupid boring suicide." They express an intense hatred for people and especially their parents, whom they describe as "scum." Their parents' divorce appeared to have a deeply negative effect on the writer. The writer says they grew to believe their family did not love them and claimed to feel like the "wrong child."

There is mention of being bullied at school and the desire to be dead versus sitting in a room whether it's "school, work, or even my own room." The most alarming part of the document is the apparent admiration for other perpetrators of mass shootings such as Pekka Eric Auvinen, Arda Küçükyetim, and Vladislav Roslyakov. Regarding how the handgun used in the shooting was procured, the document states that it was obtained via "lies, manipulation, and my father's stupidity."