Context:

Jeff Rupnow, the father of 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow who conducted a fatal school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, faces felony charges for allowing her access to firearms used in the attack. Natalie killed a teacher and a student, injured six others, and then committed suicide at Abundant Life Christian School. The teenager had been struggling with her parents' divorce and had expressed her anger through a written piece titled 'War Against Humanity.' Jeff Rupnow had tried to connect with Natalie through guns, even giving her a pistol as a Christmas present, which she later used in the shooting. Investigations revealed Natalie's detailed planning of the attack, including building a model of the school and setting a schedule for the shooting spree.

Dive Deeper:

• Jeff Rupnow was charged with a felony for enabling his daughter Natalie to access semi-automatic pistols used in a school shooting, which resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to six others, before she took her own life.

• Natalie, who had been grappling with her parents' divorce, expressed her distress through a document called 'War Against Humanity,' where she articulated her disdain for humanity and admiration for school shooters.

• Jeff Rupnow attempted to bond with Natalie over firearms, leading to her receiving a .22-caliber Sig Sauer as a Christmas gift, which she used during the attack along with a 9 mm Glock he had purchased for her.

• Natalie meticulously planned the school shooting, constructing a cardboard model of the school and creating a timeline for the attack, which she intended to conclude with her suicide.

• Investigators discovered that Jeff Rupnow had been aware of Natalie's access to firearms and had communicated to a friend that she might harm him if he left the gun safe open, highlighting his acknowledgment of the potential danger.

• Following the attack, Jeff Rupnow expressed regret over teaching Natalie gun safety and highlighted the importance of regularly changing gun safe combinations to prevent such tragedies.

• The case against Jeff Rupnow is part of a broader trend where parents of school shooters face legal consequences for their children's actions, reflecting increasing accountability for enabling access to firearms.