MADISON, Wis. — The father of a school shooter has been arrested on felony charges, according to records maintained by the state Department of Justice.
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Those records show Jeffrey Rupnow was arrested on Thursday, May 8, on two charges: intentionally selling a dangerous weapon to a person under the age of 18 and contributing to the delinquency of a child, also a felony.
Rupnow's daughter killed 14-year-old freshman Rubi Patricia Vergara and 42-year-old teacher Erin Michelle West and severely injured two other students when she opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, in December. She then turned the gun on herself.
Prosecutors allege Rupnow admitted to purchasing firearms for his underage daughter, who had documented mental health issues, a history of suicidal ideation, and had been the subject of a June 2022 notification from Madison police about high-risk behavior she was engaging in online, according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors also said the girl asked to clean one of her guns the night before the shooting. Rupnow said he gave it to her and she cleaned it in her room, but he wasn’t sure if it was returned to the gun cabinet before he locked it.
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The complaint details several contradictory statements Rupnow made regarding access to the gun safe.
He said he and his daughter went to the gun range about six weeks before the shooting and saw it as a bonding activity. He also told detectives that he would unlock the safe before they left, and his daughter was responsible for packing the bag with firearms, according to the complaint.
Rupnow claimed that his daughter didn’t officially know the code, but that he had told her the PIN was his Social Security number backward in case of an emergency. He also noted she may have seen him enter the code several times in the past.
"What should never be controversial is that children should never have the opportunity to use a gun to harm a classmate, a loved one or a teacher, whether by accident or on purpose guns are not a solution to conflict and we must stop normalizing their use and their accessibility," Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said during a press conference Thursday.
According to the complaint, investigators found evidence of detailed planning for the school shooting in Rupnow’s home, including a specific date, location, maps, timelines, and a cardboard model of the school.
They also found a manifesto titled “War Against Humanity,” in which the teen girl expressed admiration for previous school shooters. She wrote about being afraid of other kids, growing to hate people, and described a “population of scum.” She referenced other shooters.
Prosecutors said Rupnow admitted he didn’t take her suicidal threats seriously, despite her past hospitalization, ongoing therapy, and previous incidents of self-harm.
According to the complaint, during an interview with detectives, a friend of the teen's stated that she often expressed self-doubt and talked about “her family being apart.” The friend noted that she was frequently verbally aggressive and openly discussed her interest in guns and going to the range with her dad.
She also described the teen and Rupnow's relationship as difficult, with frequent arguments, and described Jeffrey as a “drinker.”
When asked about his parenting approach in an interview with detectives, Rupnow said, “As you know, parenting, you learn as you go. There's no manual. You are flying by the seat of your pants and making the best decisions for you and your child."
Rupnow made his first court appearance on Friday, where his cash bail was set at $20,000. If he posts bail, he is required to be outfitted with a GPS device prior to his release.
He was also ordered not to purchase or possess any firearms, to avoid direct or indirect contact with Abundant Life Christian School.
This story was originally published by Jay Sirkin with the Scripps News Group.
