Teenager accused in Wisconsin school shooting had a tumultuous family life, court documents show

A 15-year-old girl who, according to the police killed two people and injured several others at a private Christian school in Wisconsin He endured what appeared to be a tumultuous home life marked by divorces, custody battles and a series of court-ordered mediation sessions to resolve disputes over his care, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.

Jeff and Mellissa Rupnow were married and divorced twice, during which his daughter Natalie Rupnow He sometimes traveled between his parents’ houses every few days and attended therapy.

They married in 2011 and first divorced in 2014, according to court documents.

The two agreed to joint custody of Natalie, but she would live primarily with her mother, according to the documents.

They remarried in 2017, according to their marriage certificate obtained by NBC, but filed for divorce a second time in 2020. Mellissa and Jeff Rupnow again agreed to share custody of Natalie, but this time she would spend “equal time with both parents.” ”. court documents show. A divorce certificate obtained by NBC News shows that their divorce was finalized in 2021.

Natalie Rupnowwho also called herself Samantha, shot and killed a teacher and a student and wounded six others during study hall Monday in Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, before dying from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The victims were identified as Erin M. West, 42, and Rubi P. Vergara, 14.

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Two students who suffered fatal injuries during the shooting remained in the hospital and the other four wounded were released, police said.

He The FBI arrested Alexander Paffendorf20-year-old, in California earlier this week and ordered him to temporarily surrender his firearms after he allegedly contacted Natalie Rupnow. Authorities say Paffendorf admitted to discussing plans with Rupnow to arm himself with explosives and attack a government building. The FBI discovered messages between the two but did not reveal their alleged plans.

Paffendorf and his family could not immediately be reached for comment.

The apparent turmoil in Natalie Rupnow’s family life, as documented in court records, offers insight into events that may have marked her path before Monday’s tragedy.

In 2022, Mellissa and Jeff Rupnow sought custody mediation for Natalie. In May of that year, Dane County Family Court Services notified parents of the requirement to attend a “mandatory parenting education program via Zoom” due to a “disagreement over custody and/or physical placement of children.” A month later, according to court documents, Mellissa Rupnow “was scheduled to attend June 2 and June 16, 2022, but did not show up” for the Parent Education Program. Shortly after, the couple was asked to appear for a “mandatory in-person mediation session appointment.”

In July 2022, an agreement was reached giving them joint legal custody of Natalie, who would live primarily with her father, according to court documents. The documents also indicate that the parents agreed to “consider the recommendations of Natalie’s therapist regarding the placement” of Natalie on weekends.

Natalie’s mother agreed to connect with her therapist and “participate in therapy to the extent recommended by the therapist,” according to court documents. Natalie’s father would “do his best to schedule therapy appointments” to fit the mother’s schedule.

Court documents noted that “the parents report a generally positive co-parenting relationship and will continue to communicate with each other through text messages and phone conversations.”

Jeff and Mellissa Rupnow did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said the two are “fully cooperating” with investigators, who are still trying to identify a motive and have not released many details about the teen.

“Identifying a motive is our top priority. But at this point, it appears the reason was a combination of factors,” Barnes said at a news conference.

Trish Kilpin, director of the Wisconsin Office of School Safety, said Monday that “targeted violence is preventable.”

“When someone decides to use violence, it’s often to redress an upset or a grievance, and they move down the path toward that violence,” Kilpin said. “And when they do that, they often study incidents from previous school shootings.”

A neighbor of Jeff Rupnow who spoke to NBC News expressed surprise when he learned of the shooting and described Jeff as a “nice person.”

“He really helped us,” said the neighbor, who did not want his name used for fear of publicity about the case. “I know we’re still trying to rebuild everything.”

The neighbor indicated that he did not know Natalie and said that “the very limited things that we knew are obviously horrible for everyone, and just horrible for the families at the school and those kids.”

Selina Guevara reported from Madison and Chloe Atkins and Daniella Silva reported from New York City.

This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com. Read more from NBC News:

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