California man Alexander Paffendorf accused of plotting coordinated attack with Wisconsin school shooter

A California man has been arrested for allegedly plotting a coordinated attack with Wisconsin school shooter Natalie ‘Samantha’ Rupnow.

Alexander Paffendorf, 20, of Carlsbad, was detained by FBI agents on suspicion of ‘plotting’ to coordinate a mass shooting at government buildings in conjunction with Rupnow, according to an emergency gun violence restraining order reviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

‘During an FBI interview, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI agents that he told Rupnow that he would arm himself with explosives and a gun that he would target a government building,’ the order says. 

It notes that FBI agents ‘saw the messages from Paffendorf to Rupnow.’

A San Diego judge approved the order on Tuesday, and required Paffendorf to surrender any firearms and ammunition, and prohibited him from acquiring any more.

Shortly afterwards, neighbors told CBS 8 they saw more than a dozen police cars enter the apartment complex where Paffendorf lives.

‘They had their full guns out all over the street,’ neighbor Alex Gallegos said. ‘They were cop cars. I’d say about 15 cops here.’ 

He said he saw police coming out of the building carrying what he described as a ‘black gun box.’

Officers were seen entering Paffedorf’s apartment in Carlsbad and carrying out a ‘black gun box’

‘I saw them carrying out the big box. I didn’t see them arrest anybody, but they gave high-fives as it came to an end.’

Paffendorf is now due in court on January 3. 

It was not immediately clear how Paffendorf knew Rupnow, and Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told the Journal Sentinel he did not have any information about the arrest in California, and referred questions to the FBI.

Meanwhile, police in Wisconsin are still trying to determine what Rupnow’s motive may have been in the shooting at Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, saying it seems to have been a ‘combination of factors.’

‘Some have asked if people were specifically targeted. Everyone was targeted in this incident, and everyone was put in equal danger,’ Barnes said, according to CNN.  

Substitute coordinator Erin West, 42, and 14-year-old Rubi Patricia Vergara were gunned down in the attack before Rupnow, 15, turned the gun on herself, the Dane County Medical Examiner’s Office announced Wednesday. 

Six others were wounded in the shooting, and two were left in critical condition.

It is unclear whether any of the victims were specifically targeted in the attack.

The school shooting took the life of 14-year-old Rubi Patricia Vergara

Rupnow opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday

But Lyndsay O’Connor, a mother of two survivors, suggested that the regular study hall teacher, who was not there due to a ‘planned absence,’ may have been Natalie’s target – though her idea has not been verified by police.

‘We don’t know if her target was the original teacher or just the kids in the class. She would have had to walk by the door and the door was open,’ O’Connor said. 

Rupnow had two handguns with her during the attack but only used one to carry it out, Barnes revealed Wednesday, noting that he does not know how the teenager obtained the weapons. 

‘We may never know what she was thinking that day, but we will do our best to try to add or give as much information to our public as possible,’ he said. 

It was revealed Wednesday that Rupnow had two handguns with her but used only one in the attack, the city’s police chief said 

Police have said they received a call at 10:57am Monday morning, and within three minutes, county sheriff’s deputies had arrived at Abundant Life Christian School, which educates about 420 students. Local police arrived seconds later.

At 11:05am, they said that they’d found the shooter wounded and recovered the weapon. Rupnow was pronounced dead on the way to hospital.

Simultaneously, fire department workers got to the scene and began to care for the victims.

Authorities raided the Rupnows’ Wisconsin home after the tragedy, and Natalie’s father has been reportedly compliant with the ongoing investigation. 

Investigators have been trying to figure out if the mass shooter’s parents, Jeff and Melissa, had any involvement or contributed to Natalie’s actions.

The shooter’s parents, who are divorced, jointly shared custody of their child – but Natalie primarily lived with her 42-year-old father.