UPDATE: Police say five injured by gunfire in Kirkwood shooting during Little 500 weekend

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — April 26, 2026

Police now say five people were injured by gunfire early Sunday during a shooting on Kirkwood Avenue, while several others were hurt as crowds ran from the area during Little 500 weekend.

Bloomington police initially reported that up to nine people may have been injured by gunfire after officers heard multiple shots about 12:25 a.m. in the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue. In an updated release Sunday, police said investigators now believe five people were struck by gunfire or bullet fragments, while others suffered injuries such as cuts and scrapes while fleeing.

Photos from the scene show police and first responders working near the outdoor tables in front of Five Guys on Kirkwood Avenue, where police say investigators believe a fight broke out between two women before multiple people drew handguns. Police said video from cellphones and nearby businesses showed that two people are believed to have fired weapons.

The five people believed to have suffered gunfire-related injuries were identified by police only as 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. Police said the 20-year-old woman suffered a bullet wound to the upper torso and was also struck by bullet fragments in the side of her torso. She remained hospitalized Sunday in stable condition. The others were treated and released.

Indiana University Associate Vice President and IUPD Superintendent Benjamin Hunter said during a Sunday afternoon media briefing that none of the injured people were IU students, according to police.

Photos from the scene show a large police response, yellow police tape across Kirkwood Avenue, officers searching the area around the restaurant patio and a stretcher in the street as emergency vehicles filled the downtown corridor. Images also show police continuing to hold the scene later into the night, with the area around Five Guys and nearby businesses blocked off as investigators worked.

The Indiana University Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police assisted Bloomington police. Police said remotely piloted aerial vehicles were used to document the scene, and an Indiana State Police helicopter also responded.

No suspects were in custody as of the police update. Police asked anyone with information or video of the shooting to contact Detective Chris Scott at 812-339-4477.

State Senate Democratic Leader Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, condemned the shooting in a statement Sunday, saying nine people were hurt in a crowded public space during what is normally one of Bloomington’s busiest weekends.

“If you know Bloomington, you know what Kirkwood looks like on a weekend like this,” Yoder said. “It is crowded, loud and full of people moving from one place to the next, running into friends and staying out later than they planned. That is what it is supposed to be.”

Yoder thanked first responders and said the investigation must be carried out fully.

“People should be able to gather without this ever happening,” Yoder said. “That expectation was broken here.”

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