Bloomington Police say one person was killed and seven others injured in an early morning shooting near Illinois Wesleyan University on Sunday. It’s the second mass shooting near a college campus in Bloomington-Normal this year.
No one is in custody in Sunday's shooting, and police do not have suspect information.
Bloomington Police were called to the 100 block of East Division Street at about 1:23 a.m. [before the time change] for a report of multiple shots fired.
Police said a 19-year-old female was pronounced dead at the scene by the McLean County Coroner’s Office. Her name has not yet been released pending family notification.
Police said another adult female was transported to a regional trauma center and is listed in critical condition. Police said six others who were shot suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Police have not provided additional details, such as whether the shooting happened inside one of the housing units in the area or outside.
The department did say the incident appears to be isolated. “There is no ongoing threat to public safety,” police said in a news release.
In a statement, Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said the city "extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life in this morning's shooting. Our thoughts are also with those who were injured and everyone affected by this tragic incident."
"We are grateful for the quick response of Bloomington Police, Fire and emergency personnel who worked to provide lifesaving care and protect those at the scene," Brady said.
"We understand the concern an incident like this creates throughout our community. The Bloomington Police Department is actively investigating, and additional information will be shared as it becomes available. Our focus remains on supporting those affected, assisting the ongoing investigation and keeping our community informed."
Asking for the public's help
As of Sunday morning, police had cordoned off the entire block of housing from Division Street and Kelsey Street between East and Main streets across the street from Illinois Wesleyan’s baseball stadium as they continued to collect evidence.
Police are asking for the public’s help in providing information that may help their investigation. They are looking for home security footage, cell phone photo or videos, dash camera recordings and social media posts or messages related to the incident.
“It could be something small. It could be somebody running by. It could be a vehicle driving erratically, those types of things,” Bloomington Police spokesperson Bryce Janssen said. “Even if it seems like a minor incident… it could be of significance to us.”
The area of interest is Center Street to Franklin Avenue and Emerson Street to Apple Street.
A message to Illinois Wesleyan University was not immediately returned.
Second mass shooting this year
It’s Bloomington-Normal’s second mass shooting in the past seven months, and both took place near college campuses.
The last one was in March in the 700 block of Franklin Avenue in Normal, less than a mile away from Sunday’s shooting, between Illinois State University and the Carle BroMenn Medical Center complex. Six people — including two juveniles — were injured in that shooting, none fatally.
This story will be updated.
