'Dear friend.' An avid reader: Wisconsin community mourns school shooting victims
MILWAUKEE — A Wisconsin community is mourning the loss of a student and teacher who were killed earlier this week after a shooting at a private religious school, sending shock waves through the tightly connected community and the rest of the country.
The Dane County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victims as Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14, and Erin M. West, 42. Both died at the scene of the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where Vergara was a freshman and West was a substitute teacher coordinator, according to the school's staff directory.
“Our hearts are heavy with these losses," the school said in a statement to NBC News.
The names of Vergara and West were released on Wednesday evening following forensic autopsies. Preliminary findings indicate both died due to firearm-related trauma, according to the medical examiner's office.
Here's what we know so far about the victims:
Rubi Patricia Vergara, 14
Vergara, of Madison, had been a student at the school since kindergarten. She is described in her obituary as an avid reader who loved art, singing, and playing the keyboard in the family worship band.
Vergara "shared a special bond with her beloved pets," a cat named Ginger and her dog Coco, according to her obituary.
In a statement to NBC News, Abundant Life Christian School said Vergara was "often seen with a book in hand," and that she had a gift for art and music.
“Yet, it was Rubi’s love for Jesus that shined brightest and she shared His love with others by volunteering faithfully," the statement read. "She will be missed deeply by her teachers and fellow students."
A funeral service for Vergara, which will be livestreamed, will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at City Church in Madison. Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday.
Burial will take place at Roselawn Memorial Park.
Erin M. West, 42
West, of DeForest, worked as a substitute teacher for three years before taking a full-time staff role as an in-house substitute teacher and coordinator at Abundant Life Christian School, according to the school's statement. The school said its community was a better place because of West's work.
“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’s statement said.
West graduated in 2005 with a degree in early education from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. In a statement, the university shared its "heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all who are mourning this unimaginable tragedy."
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Erin West, a KSU alumna whose life was taken far too soon in an act of senseless violence," a spokesperson said in the statement.
"Words feel inadequate. A dear friend lost her life on Monday. Erin was a gift to us and a true blessing," West's friend Jenny Matthews posted on Facebook. "Remembering years together — numerous Bible studies, raising babies, volunteering at church and school, campfires, dinners, birthday parties, picking out paint colors, sharing recipes, praying for others."
A memorial service for West will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Doxa Church in Madison. The service will be live-streamed.
(This story was updated to add new information.)