Police were first alerted to an active shooter in a classroom at 10:57 a.m., when a second-grade teacher called 911 to report the incident. Initially, Chief of Police Shon Barnes stated that a second-grade student had made the call, but later corrected this information.

Officers reached the school within minutes of the call and discovered that the gunman was already incapacitated, thus they did not fire their weapons during the response.

Yellow crime scene tape still marks the school grounds where, according to Chief Barnes, a teacher and a fellow teenage student lost their lives, and others were injured. However, their names have not been released at the time of writing as the investigation is still ongoing.

Chief Barnes expressed the profound emotional toll this tragedy has had on him and the entire community. “I’m feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas. Every child, every person in that building, is a victim and will be a victim forever. These types of trauma don’t just go away,” he said.

Rupnow, who went by Samantha, was a student at Abundant Life Christian School. Although initial media reports incorrectly identified her as 17, authorities confirmed her age and the circumstances of her death.

“I don’t know whether [the shooter] was transgender or not,” Barnes said during a news conference when asked about Rupnow’s gender identity.

“I don’t think that whatever happened today has anything to do with how she or he or they may have wanted to identify,” he continued. “And I wish people would kind of leave their own personal biases out of this.”

During a later news conference, Chief Barnes stated that the motive appeared to involve multiple factors, leaving police to interview students to determine if bullying played a role. Police believe that the shooter was already in school when the attack began and that there wasn’t any breach.

“Everyone was targeted in this incident, and everyone was put in equal danger,” Barnes said. According to reports, Rupnow used a nine-millimeter pistol in the attack, which ended when she turned the weapon on herself.

“We also want to look at if the parents may have been negligent, and that’s a question that we’ll have to answer with our district attorney’s office,” Barnes said. “But at this time, that does not appear to be the case.”

This image, along with other social media posts and pictures, are among the potential warning signs that may have been overlooked and are currently being examined by police and federal investigators.

“There are always signs of a school shooting before it occurred,” Chief Barnes said. “Some of you have reached out about Rupnow’s social media activity prior to yesterday’s shooting. We’re looking into her online activity.”

In the hours leading up to the shooting, other troubling signs appeared online. Social media posts linked to an account believed to belong to Rupnow showed her in a bathroom stall making a hand gesture associated with white supremacist shooters.

Another post from the same account before the shooting included a link to a Google Drive. Police are investigating whether the drive contained a six-page declaration linked to the shooter that has been circulating online.

“We have been made aware of a manifesto if you want to call it that, or some type of letter that’s been posted by someone who alleged to be her friend. We haven’t been able to locate that person yet, but that’s something we’re going to work on today,” Barnes confirmed.

If this document is confirmed to be her suicide note, it outlines several possible personal motives and offers attempted explanations for authorities to examine.

Investigators are also gathering evidence from the home where the 15-year-old shooter lived. On the night of the school attack, police evidence teams served a search warrant, tearing the front door off the house in the process.

Retired FBI agent Daniel Brunner underscored the importance of addressing such red flags, noting, “If they missed a red flag and chose not to address it, if she made overt actions and overt statements that she wants to kill and they didn’t do it, that should be considered too.”

“All of our students have been united with their parents and we are grateful for all the support,” Abundant Life Christian School shared in part on Facebook.

“We have been flooded with thoughts & prayers. This great nation is behind us,” the post continued. Federal and local law enforcement are now analyzing Rupnow’s electronic devices, searching for clues.