1st Victim in Church School Shooting Identified as 14-Year-Old Freshman

The family of the teenage victim of Monday’s Wisconsin school shooting identified her as freshman Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14.

According to an obituary authorized by Vergara’s family, she is survived by her parents, Vicente and Jennfier Vergara, a brother Adrian, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Vergara was “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” according to the obituary.

Vergara and an as-yet-unnamed teacher were killed in the shooting Monday morning. Police identified the shooter as 15-year-old student Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, who also wounded five students and a teacher before killing herself. Two students remain in critical condition.

Police are sorting through Rupnow’s family life and writings to determine a motive for the shooting and have provided little solid information about the shooting, leading media outlets to deploy multiple “experts” to speculate about what might have led the teen to open fire. Police have implored reporters and the public to refrain from such speculation — as well as to avoid unsubstantiated information.

They were particularly concerned about a supposed “manifesto” posted online but so far unauthenticated.

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[Featured image: Rubi Patricia Vergara/Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care]