Police have not yet taken suspects into custody following a shooting on Kirkwood Avenue early Sunday morning that wounded at least nine people.
One victim suffered a bullet wound and injuries from bullet fragments, four other victims were injured from bullet fragments and the rest sustained injuries like cuts and scrapes as they attempted to run from the area, according to a now-deleted City of Bloomington Instagram post. All are in stable condition, BPD Chief Mike Diekhoff said in a press conference Sunday, and all but one have been released from the hospital.
The statement said investigators reviewed cell phone and video footage and saw that multiple individuals drew handguns, and two people, later clarified to be males, fired their weapons after a fight believed to have broken out between two females near Five Guys.
Anyone with information or video footage of the shooting is asked to contact detective Chris Scott at 812-339-4477.
What to know:
According to an IU Notify Alert on Sunday morning, police responded to shots fired on Kirkwood Avenue, west of Dunn Street. No shots were fired on the IU campus, another notice said.
At approximately 12:25 a.m., BPD officers stationed at Kirkwood Avenue heard “what they believed to be multiple gunshots” while monitoring a large crowd that had gathered in the street in the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue, according to a press release from after 2:55 a.m. Sunday. The crowd began scattering, according to the release. Police found shell casings at the scene.
Officers located multiple people who were wounded. At the time of the release, six injured were transported to local hospitals by ambulance, one was transported by a BPD squad car and two were taken by personal vehicles. An update from the City of Bloomington late Sunday morning confirmed one person suffered a bullet wound, four were injured by bullet fragments and four received injuries like scrapes and cuts when fleeing the area.
All were later confirmed to be in stable condition at a city press conference.
The city update said investigators reviewed video and cell phone footage from nearby businesses showing multiple individuals drawing handguns and two separate people firing their weapons following an alleged fight between two females in front of the Five Guys on Kirkwood Avenue.
The Indiana University Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police assisted at the scene of the shooting, according to the initial BPD release. Remotely Piloted Aerial Vehicles were used to document the scene, and the Indiana State Police used a helicopter to assist in the investigation.
4:03 p.m. — BPD news release
BPD Captain Ryan Pedigo wrote in a Sunday afternoon news release that the 20-year-old woman who suffered a bullet wound to her upper torso is still hospitalized and continues to be in stable condition.
He also wrote that investigators are unable to confirm if the man later located at a gas station on West 17th Street received injuries from the Kirkwood shooting. In a prior release, Pedigo wrote that this individual was transported to a local hospital by ambulance from the gas station.
1 p.m. — Bloomington mayor and chief of police note gun laws in news conference
During the news conference Sunday afternoon, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson and BPD Chief Mike Diekhoff both cited state gun laws as a challenge to regulating and preventing gun violence.
“We want people to feel welcome to come to Bloomington,” Thomson said. “We want them to be able to celebrate and have fun here. And the fact of the matter is, our gun laws enable anyone to open carry on our streets. There’s nothing we can do about that.”
Indiana is an open-carry state, meaning anyone aged 18 or older who the state hasn’t deemed an “improper person” can legally possess a firearm in public without a license. The ages of the suspects are unknown.
Thomson said the city always reviews safety policies after large gatherings and violent incidents, and she committed to updating policies as needed to keep Bloomington residents safe during future events like these.
She also encouraged residents to reach out to lawmakers about changing gun laws in the state.
Diekhoff, who said this was his 39th Little 500 spent with the force, said BPD has already begun planning for next year’s event to minimize violence.
“Everybody was very jovial and having a good time,” he said. “It’s when guns get introduced and the fights, that’s when we have problems.”
1 p.m. — City news conference
In a news conference at 1 p.m. Sunday, BPD Chief Mike Diekhoff confirmed that all five gunfire victims were treated for their injuries and are in stable condition. All but one have been released from the hospital.
IU Associate Vice President and Superintendent for Public Safety Benjamin Hunter confirmed that none of the victims were IU students.
Diekhoff said BPD found shell casings and believes both suspects to be male. BPD will analyze the evidence and try to determine the type of firearms used.
Mayor Kerry Thomson said it is not confirmed whether the suspects or victims “actively” live in Bloomington.
The victims will not be named and at this time BPD will not release appearance descriptions of the suspects, Diekhoff said.
Neither of the females involved in the fight are believed to be injured, Diekhoff said. The people injured were not participants in the shooting but “victims,” he said.
“We’ll be reviewing everything that did happen and every protocol that is within our power to ensure safety,” Thomson said.
12:42 p.m. — Sen. Shelli Yoder statement
State Sen. Shelli Yoder, who represents most of Monroe County and Bloomington, wrote she condemns the violence “in the strongest possible terms” and wishes those who were injured a “full and swift recovery” in a news release Sunday afternoon.
“If you know Bloomington, you know what Kirkwood looks like on a weekend like this. It is crowded, loud and full of people moving from one place to the next, running into friends and staying out later than they planned,” she wrote. “That is what it is supposed to be.”
She wrote that people should be able to gather without incidents like this and that “expectation was broken here.”
Yoder wrote an investigation is active, and her focus is staying informed and engaged with local officials as more information becomes available.
11:40 a.m. — Rep. Erin Houchin statement
U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin, whose district includes Bloomington, said her “heart breaks” for the victims who were shot “during what should have been a celebratory weekend for Bloomington” in a statement posted to X on Sunday morning.
Houchin wrote she is praying for the victims and their families and expressed gratitude to the law enforcement who responded to the scene.
10:57 a.m. — City of Bloomington update
At least five individuals were injured by gunfire, the City of Bloomington said in a Sunday morning update on Instagram.
The other four were injured as they attempted to run from the area, including cuts and scrapes from falls. A total of nine people are known to have received injuries.
The city listed the currently known victims of gunfire from the shooting. One 20-year-old woman from Plainfield, Indiana, suffered a bullet wound to her upper torso and was hit by bullet fragments on her side.
Bullet fragments hit four other victims. An 18-year-old from South Bend had embedded bullet fragments in her ankle and shin. Fragments hit the thigh of a 22-year-old from South Bend.
Bullet fragments hit an Indianapolis 17-year-old’s foot and ankle. Another Indianapolis woman, 21, had bullet fragments embedded in her shins and thighs.
The city said investigators have determined by reviewing footage that a fight broke out between two females in front of Five Guys, during which several people drew handguns and two separate people fired weapons.
After the shots were fired, the update stated, people ran from the scene, and officers rushed to the area to look for victims.
It is unknown if a man located at a gas station on West 17th Street received his injuries during the shooting, the update said.
The investigation is ongoing.
10:05 a.m. — Mayor Kerry Thomson Instagram Post
Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson said BPD, the sheriff’s office and IUPD did a “remarkable job” dispersing the crowd and keeping those safe after the incident in a video posted on the City of Bloomington Instagram on Sunday morning.
“We are really committed to a safe Bloomington,” Thomson said. “We know that we can have big parties and keep them safe. We did that with the national championship.”
She said those who were injured during the incident are in her prayers and that the city will share more details during a 1 p.m. news conference at Bloomington City Hall.
“I am so deeply saddened that this happened in our city last night and that several people were injured,” Thomson said. “And I am grateful to law enforcement and to those in our community who helped get us back to safety and who have come down and cleaned up Kirkwood this morning and created the calm environment we have now.”
Sunday morning — Kirkwood Avenue
Discarded cans and bottles line Kirkwood Avenue’s curbs. A scattered few runners jog up and down the street. “No parking” signs still hang on some meters.
There’s almost no trace of the shooting that happened overnight. There is no police tape. Around 10 women wait their turn to take graduation photos in front of Sample Gates, clad in white dresses and red accessories.
9:32 a.m. — BPD news conference
According to an email from BPD Capt. Ryan Pedigo, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson and Bloomington Chief of Police Mike Diekhoff will host a news conference at 1 p.m. Sunday at Bloomington City Hall.
9:20 a.m. — IU releases statement
Indiana University spokesperson Mark Bode said in a statement Sunday morning that no IU students were believed to be involved with the shooting. Read the full statement below:
“Last night marred what should have been a celebratory weekend for the IU and Bloomington communities.
While no IU students are believed to be involved, we condemn the violence in the strongest terms and thank the Bloomington Police Department, IUPD, State Police and other law enforcement agencies who responded to the events off campus. Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragic incident.
Safety remains our top priority and we remain in close coordination with local and state law enforcement.”
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct an inaccuracy and correct an official title.
CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to better clarify a gender descriptor.
