Police detained an armed man after gunfire erupted on crowded Kirkwood Avenue during Indiana University’s homecoming weekend.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — At least seven people were taken to hospitals after a shooting early Sunday near Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, where police were monitoring a large crowd during homecoming weekend, authorities said.
Bloomington and Indiana University police officers were near Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street when they heard multiple gunshots at about 1:30 a.m. in the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue, according to Bloomington police. Officers quickly moved toward the gunfire as people scattered from the crowded downtown area. Police said no deaths had been reported as of Sunday morning, but officials had not released the victims’ conditions.
Officers saw a man carrying a firearm running northeast from the area and chased him, police said. He was taken into custody east of Indiana Avenue near Dunn Meadow. Investigators also recovered a gun nearby. Authorities had not determined whether the detained man fired any of the shots, and no charges had been publicly announced in connection with the shooting.
Police said responding officers found several people with injuries believed to have been caused by the gunfire. Seven people were transported by ambulance to area hospitals. Investigators were also trying to determine whether anyone else was injured but left the scene or sought treatment on their own.
Numerous shell casings of different calibers were found on the sidewalk near 420 E. Kirkwood Ave., according to police. The discovery raised the possibility that more than one firearm was discharged, but authorities had not confirmed how many people fired weapons or whether the detained man was among them.
Preliminary information indicated that a disturbance broke out within the large crowd shortly before the gunfire, police said. Investigators had not announced a motive or explained what led to the disturbance. The identities and ages of the people who were hospitalized had also not been released.
The shooting occurred during Indiana University’s homecoming weekend, when large numbers of students, alumni and visitors were in Bloomington. Kirkwood Avenue, a downtown corridor lined with restaurants and nightlife businesses, sits close to the university campus and is frequently crowded during major school events.
Indiana University police initially warned people to avoid the area while officers responded. Authorities later indicated there was no longer an imminent threat. Indiana State Police also assisted Bloomington police and university officers during the response and investigation.
The gunfire came hours after Indiana’s football team played Minnesota during the university’s homecoming celebrations. Police did not announce any evidence linking the shooting to the football game or other official university events beyond its timing during the busy weekend.
The Bloomington Police Department said the investigation remained active Sunday as detectives reviewed evidence and sought additional information and video from the area. Authorities had not identified a confirmed shooter, announced criminal charges or released additional details about the hospitalized victims.
Author note: Last updated November 1, 2026.