Deadly shooting at Abundant Life Christian School is a hard and unforgettable precursor to long-awaited Christmas break

The annual “Ugly Christmas Sweater Day” at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin was to be a festive precursor to the long-anticipated winter break, a respite of nearly two weeks to gather with family and friends, unwrap presents and reflect on the year that passed.

The annual “Ugly Christmas Sweater Day” at Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin was to be a festive precursor to the long-anticipated winter break, a respite of nearly two weeks to gather with family and friends, unwrap presents and reflect on the year that passed. For families of the 335 or so students from kindergarten to 12th grade at the school in Madison, however, it may be hard to think about anything other than the fatal shooting of a classmate and a teacher by a 15-year-old student on Monday. Six other people were injured. Officials identified those who were killed as Erin Michelle West, 42, a teacher, and Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, a freshman. “The kids saw this and heard this, I mean, right before Christmas,” said John Diaz de Leon, a neighbor who watched the arrival of a small army of first responders, including officers with long guns escorting students from the school to the nearby church sanctuary and a chorus of parents desperately asking for their children. “How tough is that to live? And the parents, the parents were, ‘Where are my kids?’ … If that were my kids, it would be hard. I mean, I can’t think of anything harder,” he told CNN affiliate WMTV. For students like sophomore Mackynzie Wilson, the terror rocked the otherwise tight-knit school. “I didn’t know if I was going to live or not,” said Wilson, who was shaking as she was led out of the school building, her hands in the air.