(OSV News) -- Police in Madison, Wisconsin, said they are investigating a mass shooting at that city's Abundant Life Christian School Dec. 16 that left at least two killed and six injured, authorities said. The gunman is also dead, they said.
Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said at a press conference there is no ongoing threat to the school or local community. He said the suspected shooter, believed by authorities to be a student at the school, is dead.
Barnes said the Madison Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, a community Christian school with students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. Information about casualties and injuries was still evolving, authorities said.
"This is something that we all prepare for, but we hope we never have to do," Barnes said of the law enforcement response.
A spokesperson for the White House said President Joe Biden has been briefed on the incident, and that senior White House officials are in touch with local counterparts in Madison "to provide support as needed."
Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement, "I am closely monitoring the incident at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison."
"We are praying for the kids, educators, and entire Abundant Life school community as we await more information and are grateful for the first responders who are working quickly to respond."
The incident took place near the 12th anniversary of the mass killing at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012, where a gunman with a semiautomatic rifle took the lives of 20 children and 6 adults. It is among the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.
Theologians and church leaders previously told OSV News that preventing gun violence is a social justice issue, and that a public policy response to gun violence representing a Catholic perspective should start by prioritizing the common good.
"We are deeply saddened by the shooting that occurred at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison and mourn for the victims of this horrible act of violence," Bishop Donald J. Hying of the Madison Diocese said in a statement shared with OSV News.
"We stand united with the Abundant Life family and pray for healing for those who are injured and comfort for the families who are facing the heartbreaking loss of a loved one," he said. "In these days leading up to Christmas, may the peace, love, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be an anchor for all those affected."
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