At least nine people were injured in a mass shooting near Indiana University.
The Bloomington Police Department (BPD) responded to reports of gunfire just before 12:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, April 26, during a celebration following the “Little 500” collegiate bicycle race, according to The Herald-Times.
When officers arrived, they found “multiple wounded individuals,” according to WTHR. Authorities transported nine people to local hospitals, including five by ambulance.
“Police are responding to shots fired on Kirkwood Ave. Take safe shelter. Lock door[s]. Avoid the area,” Indiana University said in an initial social media alert to students.
In addition to those transported by ambulance, officers took one individual to the hospital in a BPD squad car, while others arrived in private vehicles.
WTHR reported that another person was taken to the hospital from a nearby gas station, with injuries believed to be connected to the shooting.
“It is not yet clear how many individuals sustained direct gunshot wounds or whether their injuries resulted from being hit by bullet fragments,” the BPD said in a news release, according to The Herald-Times.
“The Indiana University Police Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police assisted at the scene,” authorities added.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities have not taken any suspect or suspects into custody.
Police officers cordon off the scene during an investigation following a shooting on Kirkwood Avenue.
The Little 500, often referred to as the “Little Five,” is an annual event held at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the Bloomington campus.
Witnesses told WTHR that the area where the shooting occurred had been crowded with people celebrating when a fight broke out between two women.
“I didn’t think much of it,” one witness told the outlet. “I assumed the police would handle it. But then I saw a girl reach toward her pants leg and start firing. By that point, I was already running the other way.”
“It was a big commotion, a large group of people, and then the shots rang out,” another witness said, stressing how quickly the situation escalated. “I told the guy, ‘We’ve got to get out of here because they’re shooting.’”
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