At least seven people were transported to area hospitals early Sunday after gunfire broke out in a crowded downtown entertainment corridor near the Indiana University campus during homecoming weekend, authorities said.
The shooting took place around 1:30 a.m. on East Kirkwood Avenue between Grant and Dunn streets, an area popular with university students and located two blocks west of the Bloomington campus, according to the Bloomington Police Department. No fatalities have been reported, and authorities said there is no ongoing imminent threat to the community.
Chaos Follows Dispute in Large Crowd
Officers from both the Bloomington Police Department and the Indiana University Police Department were already positioned along Kirkwood Avenue monitoring late-night festivities when the violence erupted, Deputy Chief of Police Ryan Pedigo said in a department news release. Thousands of visitors and students had filled the city to celebrate homecoming, following Indiana University’s overtime football win against Minnesota earlier that evening.
Preliminary findings indicate that an altercation broke out among individuals within a large gathering just before shots were fired, according to police statements and reporting from Indianapolis television station WTHR. Officers stationed nearby reported hearing a succession of gunshots coming from the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue, near People’s Park, and converged immediately on the location.
Emergency medical personnel dispatched multiple ambulances to transport seven injured individuals to nearby hospitals. The medical conditions of the victims have not been publicly disclosed, and investigators are working to determine whether additional people suffered wounds in the scramble but left the area without notifying first responders.
Suspect Detained After Foot Pursuit
As officers rushed toward the sound of gunfire, they spotted an armed male running northeast away from the street, Pedigo stated. Officers pursued the person on foot and took him into custody near Dunn Meadow, just east of Indiana Avenue. Investigators recovered a handgun nearby, though authorities emphasized early Sunday that they have not yet confirmed whether the detained individual discharged the weapon.
Monroe County jail book-in records from Sunday morning revealed that Bloomington police arrested an 18-year-old man from Indianapolis at the intersection of Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street on preliminary charges of resisting law enforcement and carrying a handgun without a license, local outlet The B Square Bulletin reported. The arrest coincided with the timeline and location of the gunfire response.
Crime scene technicians recovered spent shell casings of different calibers along the sidewalk near 420 East Kirkwood Avenue, according to police statements. The presence of varied ammunition casings suggests that more than one firearm may have been used during the altercation, the Bloomingtonian reported.
Investigation Continues
Indiana University officials issued an initial emergency notification at 1:31 a.m. warning students and staff of shots fired downtown and advising them to stay clear of the area. A subsequent alert sent at 2:09 a.m. indicated that the acute threat had passed, though community members were asked to avoid the crime scene while detectives collected evidence. The Indiana State Police assisted municipal and university officers at the site.
Bloomington detectives are seeking security camera footage and cellphone video recorded by bystanders who were on the street when the shooting occurred. Authorities asked anyone with details regarding the incident to contact Bloomington Police Detective Chris Scott.
