Metro East Sun

Jennifer Korte, Vice Chair of Madison County Republicans, said that focusing solely on stricter gun legislation overlooks the underlying issues of despair and hopelessness among youth. Korte made her statement on January 6 to the Metro East Sun.

"Stricter gun laws won't stop the mental and spiritual struggles consuming kids like Natalie Rupnow," said Korte. "The real issue is the growing despair, isolation, and hopelessness among our youth. Biden, Governor Evers, and Wisconsin Democrats keep pushing for stricter gun laws, ignoring these urgent problems. Rebuild lives, don't regulate rights."

In December, NPR reported a school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, resulting in the deaths of a teacher and a student, with two other students critically injured. Three students and another teacher sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, 15-year-old student Natalie Rupnow, also known as Samantha, was pronounced dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Police have yet to determine a motive. The school prohibits firearms and even toy guns and employs cameras and visual scanning for security.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, after the shooting in Madison left three dead, including the suspected juvenile shooter, and six injured, President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass universal background checks, a national red flag law, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Biden emphasized the need to stop gun violence by citing past tragedies like Newtown and Uvalde.

In a December 16 post on social media platform X, U.S. Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisconsin) criticized Mark Pocan: "There was a shooting at a school in your district a very short time ago, and you choose to play politics with our farmers instead of focusing on hurting families. Absolutely pathetic, @MarkPocan. This is low even for you. Be better."

Korte is a resident of Edwardsville who was first elected as Vice Chair of the Madison County Republicans in 2024. As Vice Chair, her focus includes boosting party communication, assisting new candidates, and educating the public about various legislation impacting voters in Madison County.