‘She loved Jesus’: Pastor shares memories of beloved teacher killed at Christian school
The pastor of a teacher who was killed during the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, last week remembered her as “a woman who loved Jesus and loved people.”
Erin West, a 42-year-old educator from DeForest, was a cherished member of both her church and the Christian school community, where she taught for four years. “… She was a woman who loved Jesus and loved people, and that was honestly why she was in that classroom on Monday,” said Pastor Rob Warren of Doxa Church, according to WKOW.
The shooting on Monday, carried out by 15-year-old Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow, resulted in the deaths of West and 14-year-old student Rubi Patricia Vergara of Madison. Two other students sustained critical injuries and remained hospitalized as families and the school grappled with the immediate aftermath.
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The Associated Press reported that the attack lasted eight minutes during the school’s regular snack break, a time typically filled with the simple routines of school life.
West was “kind … extremely compassionate, generous,” added Warren, who had recently joined Doxa Church with his family.
The pastor was among the first responders to the scene, arriving swiftly to support anxious parents seeking to find their children. He was the person who informed Erin’s husband and three daughters of her untimely death.
Barbara Wiers, the elementary and communications director at Abundant Life Christian School, also spoke about the tragedy. “Are we broken right now? Yes. Are we bruised and battered? Yes,” the AP quoted Wiers as saying. “But we will laugh again, and He will turn our mourning into joy again. And we will go on.”
Warren, who has previously witnessed the devastating effects of school shootings across the nation, expressed that nothing could have prepared him for a tragedy that hit so close to home. “It’s your friend and it’s your friend’s kids that you’re looking at. It just becomes more and more real,” he said.
“He knows that it’s not just the sentiment of, ‘I’m going to see her again one day and she’s at peace,’ but because of her faith, we know that she’s actually at peace right now,” the pastor added.
The school also released a statement honoring West’s dedication. “ALCS is a better school for the work of Erin West. She served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom, and — most importantly — with the love of Jesus. Her loss is a painful and deep one and she will be greatly missed not just among our staff, but our entire ALCS family.”
Vergara, the other victim, was described as “an avid reader, loved art, singing and playing keyboard in the family worship band.”
The school characterized her as gentle and loving, noting her significant impact on her peers. “Rubi was a blessing to her class and our school. She was not only a good friend, but a great big sister. Often seen with a book in hand, she had a gift for art and music,” the school stated.
Funeral services for the victims have been scheduled. West’s funeral will take place at Doxa Church in Madison on Monday, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. the same day. Rubi Vergara’s service was held Saturday at City Church, adjacent to the school.
On Friday, authorities detained Alexander Paffendorf, a 20-year-old man from Carlsbad, California, and seized firearms and ammunition from his home as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School.
According to a gun violence restraining order obtained by CBS 8 in San Diego, the FBI conducted the raid on Tuesday night. Paffendorf is accused of communicating with the shooter, Rupnow, and of planning a second attack intended to coincide with the Dec. 16 shooting.
