The Bloomington Police chief said Saturday that the investigation into the Halloween mass shooting so far indicates no students from Illinois Wesleyan were "involved" or "targeted," and that police still need more potential witnesses to come forward with what they know.
Chief Jamal Simington spoke Saturday with IWU students, families, faculty, and staff during Family Weekend, according to BPD.
"There is nothing which has surfaced in our investigation that suggests any IWU students were involved. There is nothing which suggests any IWU students were targeted," said Simington. "At this time there is nothing in our investigation which suggests there is an ongoing threat or concern of safety at the IWU campus or surrounding neighborhoods."
Police have not made any arrests or released much suspect information about the shooting, which left one person dead and eight others injured, including students from IWU and Illinois State University. It happened during a big Halloween night party at off-campus housing near IWU. (There have also been no arrests in a second mass shooting less than a mile away in March.)
"While this week has been difficult, I remain confident in this university, confident in this city, and confident in the people who call both home. We will continue pursuing the truth, continue pursuing justice, and continue working every day to keep this community safe," Simington said.
Simington also renewed calls for the public's help solving the crime. Police said previously that they're not concerned about any underage drinking that may have been happening at or near the party; they say they're only seeking information about the shooting itself.
"We are keenly focused on the shooting, not other matters," said Simington. "You may consider it small or insignificant, but we consider all information valuable, as it could lead to an arrest and prosecution."
There are three ways you can help if you know something:
- Contact BPD Detective Pedro Diaz at (309) 434-2532 or Pdiaz@cityblm.org.
- Submit an anonymous tip at (309) 434-2963 or CIAU@cityblm.org. They can also be submitted by texting BPDTIPS, followed by a space and the tip information, to 847411.
- Photos, videos, or other digital evidence can be submitted to BPD's Community Evidence Submission Portal.
