Illinois Wesleyan University shooting victims and update

Bloomington, Ill. – One person was killed and eight others were injured in a shooting early Sunday morning near Illinois Wesleyan University’s baseball facility, according to the Bloomington Police Department. 

Police initially reported eight victims after officers were dispatched to the 100 block of East Division Street at 1:23 a.m. Sunday following reports of multiple shots fired. Authorities later confirmed that a ninth person had been injured in the shooting. 

Officers arriving at the scene found multiple people with gunshot wounds and attempted life-saving measures before Bloomington and Normal fire departments transported the victims to area hospitals. 

McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder identified the person killed as 19-year-old Giana Dettloff of Carol Stream, Illinois. Dettloff was pronounced dead at the scene Nov. 1. A preliminary autopsy determined she died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and pelvis. 

The nine victims ranged from age 16 to 22 and included seven females and two males. They had connections to several colleges and high schools across Illinois, as well as the Bloomington community. 

One 18-year-old woman from Carol Stream and a 19-year-old woman from Woodridge were initially listed in critical condition but were later upgraded to stable condition. Another 19-year-old woman from Hoffman Estates, who attends Illinois State University, was treated and released Sunday morning. 

The remaining victims included a 19-year-old Illinois Wesleyan University student from Plano, a 19-year-old Illinois State University student from Grant Park, a 22-year-old Bloomington man, an 18-year-old woman from Carol Stream, a 16-year-old Bloomington High School student, and the 19-year-old woman from Hoffman Estates. Injuries included gunshot wounds to the arms, legs, ankle, chest and abdomen. 

Police described the suspected shooter or shooters as Black males, based on information provided to investigators. Authorities have not announced any arrests. 

In a joint statement Sunday, Bloomington police said investigators were continuing to collect evidence and believed the shooting was an isolated incident. Police said there was no ongoing threat to the community. 

The Bloomington Police and Fire departments are asking anyone with information or relevant cellphone, doorbell or dash-cam footage to assist with the investigation. 

Two Illinois State University students were among those injured in the shooting. ISU president Aondover Tarhule addressed the incident in a message to the campus community Monday, encouraging students to seek support through the university’s Student Counseling Services. 

Students can contact Student Counseling Services at 309-438-3655 or visit their website. Tarhule also encouraged students to download the Safe Redbirds app. 

“Violence has no place in our community. Violence threatens not only individual safety, but also the sense of trust, belonging and connection that binds us together,” Tarhule said. 

Tarhule acknowledged that the shooting, along with unverified reports and rumors circulating on campus and on social media, had left members of the university community anxious and unsettled. 

The investigation remains ongoing. 

Stay tuned to WZND for additional updates as more information becomes available.