Are We Going To Prosecute The Parents Of Natalie (Samantha) Rupnow?

Probably not, but maybe the environment is shifting.

The shooter up in Madison, Wisconsin this week — which had a low body count, so sadly no one will remember this shooting in two months — was named Natalie Rupnow, but apparently went by the name “Samantha.” I am not sure what is happening there. There are varying troll reports that she was trans or had trans ideology, but that does not seem to be true (and, in fact, is worrying that “This person is trans!” is the first place that half of X users go).

The book on Rupnow from afar is almost too perfect for a school shooter: isolated female (the female part is admittedly rare), liked the Columbine shooters, wore the same shirts as them (an obscure German band), was chronically-online enough that she knew terms like “moids” and “foids” for the manifesto we’re linking to her, had a tough home life, her dad tried to connect with her via a shooting club, etc. All the clues were there. We just didn’t piece it all together before three people died. This is very common narrative.

Here’s a general breakdown of the family tumult: