Police said five people were hurt by gunfire and four others were injured while fleeing the crowd.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Nine people were injured early Sunday when gunfire broke out in a crowded nightlife district near Indiana University during Little 500 weekend, police said, sending hundreds of people running from Kirkwood Avenue.
The shooting happened after one of Bloomington’s busiest weekends of the year, when the university’s annual bicycle races bring students, alumni and visitors into the blocks near campus. Police said five people were hurt by gunfire or bullet fragments, while four others suffered cuts or scrapes while fleeing. No arrests had been announced Sunday afternoon, and investigators were reviewing videos from nearby businesses and cellphones.
Bloomington police said officers were already stationed in the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue at about 12:25 a.m. Sunday, watching a large crowd that had gathered in the street. Officers heard several shots and saw people begin to scatter. Capt. Ryan Pedigo, a police spokesperson, said officers “immediately converged on the area” and found multiple wounded people. Five people were taken from the downtown scene by ambulance, one person was taken by police squad car and two others went to hospitals in private vehicles. Another injured person was later taken by ambulance from a gas station in the 200 block of West 17th Street.
Officials later said investigators were still checking whether the person found at the West 17th Street gas station was hurt in the Kirkwood Avenue shooting. Police said the five people with gunfire injuries included a 20-year-old Plainfield woman who was shot in the upper torso and had bullet fragments in her side. Four others had embedded bullet fragments in their legs, feet or ankles. They included an 18-year-old woman from South Bend, a 22-year-old woman from South Bend, a 17-year-old girl from Indianapolis and a 21-year-old woman from Indianapolis. Police said the remaining four people were hurt as the crowd ran from the area.
Police said surveillance footage and cellphone videos showed a fight between two women near a Five Guys restaurant on Kirkwood Avenue shortly before the gunfire. Investigators said several people then pulled out handguns and two people fired. The gunshots sent people running through the street and toward nearby bars, restaurants and storefronts. No motive had been released Sunday, and police had not named suspects or announced charges. The Bloomington Police Department said the Indiana University Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police helped at the scene. Investigators also used drones and a state police helicopter for hours before sunrise as they documented evidence and searched the area.
The shooting happened near the end of Little 500 weekend, one of Indiana University’s best-known traditions. The IU Student Foundation describes the Little 500 as the largest collegiate bike race in the United States, with four-person teams competing at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The 2026 races marked the 75th running of the men’s race and the 38th running of the women’s race. The women’s race was held Friday, and the men’s race was held Saturday afternoon. By late Saturday night and early Sunday, large crowds had moved into the blocks around Kirkwood Avenue, a downtown strip near the Sample Gates entrance to the Bloomington campus.
Indiana University said the shooting happened off campus, west of Dunn Street, and that no shots were fired on campus. IU sent emergency alerts to students and staff during the response, telling them police were responding to shots fired on Kirkwood Avenue and that they should shelter, lock doors and avoid the area. IU spokesperson Mark Bode said no IU students were believed to be involved. “Last night marred what should have been a celebratory weekend for the IU and Bloomington communities,” Bode said. He said the university condemned the violence “in the strongest terms” and remained in close contact with local and state law enforcement.
At a Sunday news conference, Bloomington Police Chief Mike Diekhoff said the five gunfire victims were in stable condition and all but one had been released from the hospital. IU Associate Vice President and Superintendent for Public Safety Benjamin Hunter said none of the victims were IU students. Police said the investigation remained active and asked people with information or video from the area to contact Detective Chris Scott. Officers had not released a full list of victims, and officials had not said whether the people who fired were part of the initial fight or joined the confrontation after it began.
Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson appeared on Kirkwood Avenue early Sunday and said she was “so deeply saddened” by the violence. “There is no place for gun violence in our city,” Thomson said. She thanked first responders and community members who helped clear the area after the shots were fired. State Sen. Shelli Yoder, who represents much of Monroe County and Bloomington, said Kirkwood Avenue on Little 500 weekend is usually crowded, loud and full of people moving between friends and events. Yoder said that expectation of safety “was broken here” and said she was staying in contact with local officials as the investigation continued.
Witnesses described a fast shift from a packed celebration to panic. One witness said a fight between two women did not seem unusual at first because officers were nearby. The witness said that changed when a woman reached toward her pants leg and began firing. Another person described “a big commotion” before people realized they needed to get away. By Sunday morning, Kirkwood Avenue had mostly reopened. Discarded cans and bottles remained along curbs, but police tape was gone and people were again walking near the Sample Gates area.
The case remained open Sunday afternoon with no suspects in custody. Police said the next steps included reviewing more video, interviewing witnesses and identifying the two people believed to have fired weapons during the crowd disturbance.
Author note: Last updated April 26, 2026.