Bloomington mayor, police describe Kirkwood shooting that injured five during Little 500 weekend

Bloomington Mayor Carrie Thompson and Police Chief Mike Deoff said a fight on Kirkwood Avenue escalated into gunfire early Sunday during Little 500 weekend, injuring five people and prompting a review of public-safety planning for large events.

At a press conference, Thompson condemned the violence, saying, "Anytime there's violence in our community and anytime, especially there are victims of gun violence, we condemn gun violence unequivocally in any form," and offering sympathy to those injured.

Chief Deoff said officers who were monitoring the crowd at about 12:25 a.m. heard what they believed were multiple gunshots, and that officers "immediately converged on the area and located multiple wounded individuals." He clarified that five people were injured by gunfire or fragments and others were hurt while fleeing the scene; "All were treated and released except one who had been admitted and is in stable condition," he said.

Deoff told reporters security-camera and cell-phone footage show two males who were involved in an earlier fight both drew handguns and fired. He estimated the crowd on East Kirkwood at the time numbered in the "two to 3,000" range, and said the size of the crowd complicated immediate crowd control.

Thompson said the city will conduct a review of policies and procedures after the incident and urged residents to press state lawmakers on gun policy: "It has been suggested that we forbid guns from public gatherings in the future in Bloomington. Unfortunately, Indiana gun laws prohibit such action," she said, adding that the city encourages people not to bring guns to gatherings.

Police said the known injured were a 20-year-old woman, an 18-year-old woman, a 22-year-old woman, a 17-year-old girl and a 21-year-old woman; ages and other details were provided by the department. Investigators are reviewing footage and witnesses' accounts; no arrests were detailed at the press conference.

The shooting occurred during Little 500 weekend, an event that draws thousands of visitors to Bloomington. Officials said the incident has prompted discussion about event staffing and resource needs; Thompson said the city will "do a review in the coming days" and update policies as needed.

The department encouraged anyone with information or footage to contact investigators. The city did not announce any immediate changes to the management of upcoming events; officials said changes will follow the department's review.