A loving, devoted teacher and a student brimming with artistic ambition are Wisconsin school shooting victims
By Karina Tsui, Whitney Wild, Amanda Jackson, Jillian Sykes, Dalia Faheid and Artemis Moshtaghian, CNN
(CNN) — Rubi Patricia Vergara was an “avid reader” and full of artistic promise at age 14, according to her obituary. She sang and played keyboard in a family band and “shared a special bond with her beloved pets,” Ginger the cat and Coco the dog.
Erin Michelle West was “kind and caring” and “really loved her kids” at Abundant Life Christian School, according to students there. The school’s substitute teaching coordinator, West was also a proud and loving mother, they said.
Vergara and West were killed in a Monday morning shooting at the school in Madison, Wisconsin, the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office said.
Six others were injured, two of whom remained hospitalized Wednesday, police said. Their names have not been made public.
The family of one injured student, identified only as Samy, is asking for prayers and privacy as they focus on their son’s recovery.
“They ask that you please continue to pray for Samy, he needs a miracle. The family understands the power of prayer, and they know that Samy is in God’s hands,” Marcio Sierra Jr., senior pastor at Lighthouse Church in Madison wrote in a post on Facebook.
Here’s what we know about the victims:
Erin Michelle West
West, 42, lived in DeForest, Wisconsin, and was a teacher at Abundant Life, officials said.
She worked as a substitute teacher for three years before taking a position as the school’s substitute coordinator, a statement from the school first obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal reads.
“ALCS is a better school for the work of Erin West,” the statement reads.
“She served our teachers and students with grace, humor, wisdom, and – most importantly – with the love of Jesus.”
The school described her as bringing “her love of Jesus and love of people to our staff and school family all wrapped in a hug and topped with a smile.”
Angel Brube, a seventh grader who was present during the shooting, told CNN he knew West well, describing her as “kind and caring” and a great communicator.
Abundant Life sophomore Mackynzie Wilson, who also knew West and saw her just hours before the shooting, told CNN that her teacher “really loved her kids.”
“She was so excited to see her daughters grow up and what they were going to be and do with their lives,” Wilson said.
West’s love for her children extended to “everyone at our school,” Wilson added. “She would have done anything for them … I just wish I could’ve gone back and given her a hug.”
Rubi Patricia Vergara
A freshman at Abundant Life, Vergara was a lover of the arts and music, hailing from a big family.
“She was not only a good friend, but a great big sister,” the school said in a statement. “Often seen with a book in hand, she had a gift for art and music.”
She attended ALCS since kindergarten, the school said. Educators described her as having a “gentle, loving, and kind heart” that “was reflected in her smile.”
The teenager “loved art, singing and playing keyboard” in her family worship band, according to her obituary. She had a particular soft spot for animals.
“Rubi was a blessing to her class and our school,” the school said. “Yet, it was Rubi’s love for Jesus that shined brightest and she shared His love with others by volunteering faithfully. She will be missed deeply by her teachers and fellow students.”
Her funeral service will be held Saturday in Madison. Her burial will take place at Roselawn Memorial Park, her obituary read.
CNN’s Taylor Romine, Michelle Watson and David Williams contributed to this report.
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