The family of the 14-year-old Wisconsin school shooting victim said they hold “no bitterness” against the suspect Natalie Rupnow.
Student Rubi Vergara was laid to rest today at a service attended by family and friends at the Gunderson Funeral Home in Madison.
Vergara was killed in the attack Monday at the Abundant Life Christian School, along with 42-year-old teacher Erin Michelle West, when the 15-year-old suspect opened fire.
Vergara’s family paid tribute to the teenager at the ceremony Saturday and expressed compassion for Rupnow’s family and the Rupnow, who shot herself after going on the rampage, police said.
“We hold no bitterness or unforgiveness toward 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow,” Vergara’s uncle, Andrew Remus, reportedly told the congregation. “They lost a daughter, too,” WTMJ reports.
Vergara was a freshman at the school and “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band,” according to her obituary. It added that she was an animal lover, and “shared a special bond with her beloved pets, Ginger (cat) and Coco (dog).”
At the service, Remus encouraged her loved ones to share stories about her.
“If something is funny about a memory that is said about Rubi, laugh and if you need to clap in confirmation, clap. If this is truly a celebration of life, then let’s do it,” he said.
Vergara’s death was confirmed by the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday evening.
Her aunt, Stacy Remus, paid tribute to the student on Facebook. “Friends and family … here it is. This is our beautiful Rubi Vergara, our niece who was killed in Monday’s school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison,” Remus wrote.
“We are grateful for our friends, family and Bluff View Church family for your support during this hard time. And by the way …. Jesus is Still on the Throne and God is Good. Rubi, there are very few words to express how our hearts are broken. We love you and miss you.”
The funeral of West, a substitute coordinator at the school, is due to take place this coming Monday, according to local reports.
“ALCS is a better school for the work of Erin West. She brought her love of Jesus and love of people to our staff and school family all wrapped in a hug and topped with a smile,” the school said in a tribute shared with NBC News.
Police have said Rupnow was in contact with a man in California who authorities say was planning a coordinated attack on a government building.
Rupnow’s motivation for the shootings remains a key part of their investigation.
