Campus Alert Archive
IU

Little 500 Weekend Gunfire: IU Notify Sent After Officers Heard Shots Near Dunn and 17th Street

INshootingemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

During Little 500 weekend on April 20, 2024, IU Bloomington police heard gunshots near Dunn and 17th Street shortly after midnight. An IU Notify alert directed students to take safe shelter; an all-clear was issued at 1:12 AM EDT after officers determined there were no victims and no ongoing threat.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Indiana University Bloomington
Public R1 · IN
~47,005 studentsIU Notify
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTSMS
Verified verbatimIndiana Daily Student quoting the verbatim IU Notify alert128 chars
Shots fired in the area of Dunn and 17th street. Take safe shelter. Lock door. Follow official instructions. Call 911 with info.
IUPD officers heard gunfire around 12:42 AM EDT near Dunn and 17th Street, north of campus
Witnesses reported a male in a blue jersey firing rounds into the air; officers located spent shell casings but no victims or damage
The alert directed recipients to take safe shelter — a directive notably more specific than UVM's CATAlert template that drew criticism months earlier
ALL CLEARSMS
Approximate reconstruction102 chars
IU NOTIFY: All clear has been issued for the area near Dunn and 17th Street. Resume normal activities.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

All-clear was issued at 1:12 AM EDT, approximately 30 minutes after the initial alert
Police did not locate any victims or anyone matching the description of the suspect
Bloomington Police and IUPD coordinated the response
Context

Background

Little 500, Indiana University's signature annual bicycle race weekend, is one of the largest student events in the country and draws tens of thousands of visitors to Bloomington each April. During the 2024 edition, two separate shooting incidents disrupted the festivities. The first occurred around 10:55 PM on April 19 at an apartment on South Curry Pike, where a 56-year-old Bloomington man was shot multiple times; two suspects were arrested. Hours later, IUPD officers heard gunshots at approximately 12:42 AM on April 20 near Dunn and 17th Street, close to campus. The IU Notify alert was activated directing recipients to take safe shelter, lock doors, and follow police instructions. Witnesses reported a male in a blue jersey firing rounds into the air; officers located spent shell casings but no victims or damage from the shots. An all-clear was issued at 1:12 AM EDT.
Analysis

Key Findings

The IU Notify alert was sent within minutes of IUPD officers hearing gunshots near Dunn and 17th Street
Two separate shooting incidents occurred during Little 500 weekend, though neither directly targeted students
Officers located spent shell casings but found no victims or damage; the all-clear was issued at 1:12 AM EDT, about 30 minutes after the initial alert
Outcome
In a separate but related incident on April 19, a 56-year-old Bloomington man was shot on South Curry Pike. Two suspects were arrested. No students were injured in either incident, but the proximity to campus prompted the IU Notify activation.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Student Paper
    Two separate incidents of shots fired occur over Little 500 weekend (Indiana Daily Student)
    idsnews.com
  2. News
    A shooting near Indiana University campus during Little 500 weekend raises questions (WRTV)
    wrtv.com
  3. News
    Bloomington, IU police report gunshots but no injuries north of campus (IPM)
    ipm.org
Tags
shootingshots-firedlittle-500special-eventindianaiu-notifylate-nightpublic-university
Added April 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion