At least 3 dead, 6 injured in shooting at private Christian school, police say (UPDATED)

UPDATE, Dec. 17, 8:27 a.m. ET: Six people were injured in the shooting, according to the latest reports.

Original story below:

A shooting at a private Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin, claimed the lives of two people and injured at least seven others, according to initial reports. The alleged shooter was also found dead.

Early reports indicated that the shooter was a student at the Abundant Life Christian School. Police later confirmed the suspect was a teenage student, but would not release the student's identity or gender.

“Officers located a juvenile who they believe was responsible for [the] deceased in the building,” said Capt. Shon Barnes of the Madison Police Department to reporters.

'We have to do a little bit better.'

Police said the shooting broke out at about 11 a.m. at the school, which serves grades K-12.

At a media briefing later in the day, Barnes said two people were in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, one student and one teacher. He added that police were still investigating the motivation behind the shooting.

"We're still going through, collecting evidence, collecting information, making sure that our community is safe from what is a sad day for our community and for our country," said Barnes.

"And we have to do a little bit better," he added.

A White House spokesperson said that President Joe Biden has been updated about the incident.

“The president has been briefed on the school shooting in Madison, Wisconsin. Senior White House officials are in touch with local counterparts in Madison to provide support as needed,” said senior deputy press secretary Emilie Simons.

The school posted a statement on Facebook asking for prayers.

"Prayers Requested! Today, we had an active shooter incident at ALCS," the statement read. "We are in the midst of following up. We will share information as we are able. Please pray for our Challenger Family."

This is a developing story and has been updated with additional information.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include the correct number of deaths, which was originally reported by the police to be five.

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