MADISON, Wis. — At vigils across Madison Tuesday night, residents gathered together to mourn and begin to process Monday’s shooting at Abundant Life Christian School, which killed a student and a teacher and left several others injured.
Some were closely tied to the school community. Some were not. But they were united in deep pain over the tragedy that had unfolded.
Hundreds of people gathered at the state Capitol downtown for a public vigil organized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County. They helped each other light candles and signed three crosses set on the grounds.
At the vigil, Charles Moore, executive director of Impact Christian Schools, which oversees religious schools including Abundant Life, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that “it’s hard to comprehend the shock” of what had happened. He said faculty and staff pray and prepare for situations like this, but being in the midst of it was unimaginable, and that the school would be closed until after Christmas break.
He asked the community not to waver in their prayers for those involved.
“There are still some very, very injured children in the hospital,” Moore said. “It doesn’t end on the first day, in the first couple of minutes. Lives have been torn apart.”
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway told the crowd the city would never be the same and urged people to rely on each other during the difficult road ahead.
“Let us be a community where, when we see someone who needs help, that we are the first to extend our hands and to offer resources where they are needed,” Rhodes-Conway said. “Let us be a community that takes care of each other. That is where our focus is right now, on caring for everyone who has been impacted by this gun violence.”
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‘Opportunity to give space for people to share their story’
Renee Moe, CEO of United Way of Dane County, recommended parents be good listeners to their children in the days ahead, limit media exposure, and talk about supporting one another.
“There’s no blueprint for how to move forward,” Moe said.
As the vigil at the Capitol disbanded, five golden retrievers and their handlers reported for duty. They’ve gone through 2,000 hours of training to be emotional support dogs. During the vigil, many participants overcome with emotion had to step away.
“We had several people come up wanting to get away from all of the talk and just sit down quietly with the dogs,” said Rev. Chris Singer, president and CEO of Lutheran Church Charity, based in Northbrook, Illinois. “And whenever they do that, science shows it gives our bodies a chance to begin to relax.”
Singer told the Journal Sentinel that the ministry has 127 trained dogs across 27 states who show up in times of crisis. It wasn’t long ago that a set of eager golden retrievers went to comfort families who lost everything in Hurricane Helene.
In addition to furry friends like Samson, a 6-year-old golden retriever who has trained since he was 8 weeks old for moments like this, Lutheran Church Charity also had spiritual first aid responders at the vigil to help people navigate the pervasive sense of grief in the air.
“We have an opportunity to give space for people to share their story, their experiences and their feelings. And then we’re trained-certified to be able to help them, especially if they’re stuck,” Singer said. “We provide that comfort and assurance that there’s love in so many forms, even when it’s hard to remember.”
Residents mourn in prayer and song
Outside City Church in Madison on Tuesday, the non-denominational Christian church next door to Abundant Life Christian School, vehicles poured into the parking lot as police checked each car and pedestrian to ensure they were there for the vigil. Cars were lined up more than half a mile waiting to enter.
After a moving song, Lead Pastor Tom Flaherty thanked first responders and those who provided food and other resources over the past day. Quoting Psalms about looking for God during times of misery, Flaherty urged attendees who were at the school when the shooting happened not to blame themselves for anything they did or did not do.
“What happened yesterday over at ALCS was from hell,” Flaherty said. “For reasons that are unknown to us, God allowed it to happen.”
Before pausing for a moment of silence, Flaherty asked those gathered to allow God into their hearts to comfort them.
Candles and flowers left outside Abundant Life Christian School
On Tuesday morning, Megan Mojica and Kamila Reynolds set up candles outside the school. Both school bus drivers in the Madison area, Mojica and Reynolds wanted to show up to honor the lives that were lost and the many families affected by the shooting.
Mojica said her son encountered gun violence in a shooting incident at Waukesha South High in 2019, where a police officer shot and injured an 18-year-old student who had pointed a pellet gun. She offered advice to those affected by Monday’s tragedy.
“My son was the child that had the gun in his face,” Mojica said. “So I know firsthand what it’s like to go through something like this. Surround yourself with family and friends, because with time, you will be able to overcome.”
Reynolds said the events shocked her.
“(Madison) is a good town,” she said. “And for something to happen like this … it’s surprising.”
After placing the candles and speaking with reporters, the two stepped aside and prayed with a chaplain.
Middleton’s Blackhawk Church hosted Monday night vigil
In the hours after the shooting, the staff at Blackhawk Church in Middleton decided to hold a last-minute evening prayer service. They wanted to offer a “safe and sacred space” for people to gather for encouragement and prayer, said executive pastor Craig Gartland.
About 200 people attended the service, Gartland added, including many who aren’t regular churchgoers at Blackhawk.
“It’s important to be community and to offer community” to people who are anxious or fearful, Gartland said.
The church, which sees about 4,000 people attend Sunday services each week, will be hosting a preplanned “Blue Christmas” service for people experiencing grief during the holiday season on Tuesday night. It will be even more poignant this year.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin community struggles to make sense of tragic school shooting
