Wisconsin shooting: How 'copycat' Natalie Rupnow was inspired by various school shooters

The tragic school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, by 15-year-old Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow, reflects chilling parallels to infamous school shooters. Rupnow’s manifesto and online presence mirrored the ideologies of Eric Harris, Dylan Klebold, Nikolas Cruz, and international perpetrators like Anton Lundin Pettersson and Pekka-Eric Auvinen. Her writings expressed alienation, hatred for society, and a desire for recognition, echoing Harris’s misanthropy and Auvinen’s nihilism. Rupnow sought to punish humanity, blaming societal norms and personal rejection for her suffering. Her manifesto, War Against Humanity, revealed her despair, framing violence as vengeance, validation, and liberation from perceived invisibility.