A string of shootings near college towns and campus events over the weekend left at least five people dead and more than two dozen injured, with police in Indiana, Delaware, Alabama, Texas and Arkansas all investigating separate incidents.
Bloomington, Indiana
Near Indiana University’s homecoming festivities, officers monitoring a large crowd around Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street heard gunfire around 1:30 a.m. ET and saw a man running from the area with a firearm, Bloomington police said. He was taken into custody near Dunn Meadow, and police recovered a gun and shell casings. Investigators said it is still unclear whether the suspect fired any shots, and a disturbance in the crowd may have preceded the gunfire. Seven people were hospitalized. No deaths were reported, and police said they did not know whether there were additional victims. Indiana University police and Indiana State Police assisted in the response.
Newark, Delaware
A shooting on Main Street on Saturday night in New Castle County struck the University of Delaware community. At least six people were reportedly hospitalized, though the university did not confirm a total number of victims or say whether anyone died. The Newark Police Department is leading the investigation.
University spokesman Peter Bothum said the school is “deeply concerned about the shooting on Main Street Saturday night, which has impacted our entire community,” adding that officials are “grateful to the Newark Police Department, which is leading the investigation.” He said confirmed updates would be posted to the university’s alerts page.
University President Laura Carlson told the campus community in an email that victims were receiving care. “I am writing to you about the shooting last night in Newark on Main Street, although it is difficult to know what to say when violence like this erupts in our community,” she wrote. “We are all impacted,” she continued, asking the community to keep victims “in your thoughts and hearts as they receive care,” and recognizing the toll on those who witnessed the violence.
Birmingham, Alabama
In Jefferson County, one person was killed and eight others wounded Saturday night following the Magic City Classic football game near Legion Field. Officers responded to the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West shortly after 7:50 p.m. ET and found nine people with gunshot wounds. One victim was listed in critical condition; the other seven were stable.
Birmingham Police Chief Michael Pickett said most spectators and families had already left the stadium grounds when the shooting occurred near vendors set up along Graymont Avenue. “Very grateful that more people weren’t injured,” he said. Police spokesperson De’Rell Freeman said one person was detained and taken to police headquarters for questioning, and that “multiple weapons” had been recovered and secured.
The Magic City Classic, a rivalry game between historically Black universities Alabama State and Alabama A&M played for more than a century, drew nearly 70,000 fans Saturday. Alabama A&M won 31-28.
Dallas, Texas
In Dallas County, police say four people are dead and 15 injured after three separate shootings in a Dallas neighborhood. Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said investigators are still working to determine whether the shootings were connected or what prompted them. Some arrests have been made, though Comeaux did not specify how many or what charges are involved. “This is a really big scene. It’s spread out,” Comeaux said. “We are interviewing some individuals right now that we have arrested, still trying to figure out exactly how it ties into all the shootings out here.”
Fayetteville, Arkansas
In Washington County, six people were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds following a shooting early Sunday. No arrests have been made, police said in a news release, adding that a preliminary investigation indicates an altercation preceded the gunfire.
