BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A 19-year-old cheerleader was killed and eight others were injured in a mass shooting at a Halloween party near Illinois Wesleyan University early Sunday morning, authorities said. Giana Dettloff, a recent graduate of Glenbard North High School and freshman at North Central College in Naperville, was pronounced dead at the scene, the McLean County Coroner's Office said. Her cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and pelvic region.
The shooting occurred around 1:20 a.m. in the 100 block of East Division Street, where between 150 and 200 people had gathered for a Halloween party in a shared backyard between houses. Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington said he patrolled the area before the shooting and described the gathering as "noticeably peaceful, jovial" with "no disturbances witnessed or reported prior to the shooting." An officer nearby heard approximately 10 gunshots and arrived within a minute to find multiple people wounded. "Everybody that was able to flee took off and ran," said Bryce Janssen, public information officer for the Bloomington Police Department.
Eight other victims were injured, including students from North Central College, Illinois State University, and Quincy University, as well as local high school students. One recent Glenbard North graduate was among those injured. Dettloff had traveled to Bloomington to visit a friend for the holiday. Her family described her as "full of life, a sweet girl with a very bright future."
North Central College confirmed Dettloff was a member of its cheerleading team. Glenbard North High School and its cheerleading team remembered her as "a sweet and caring soul" who had a "massive positive influence" on the community. Quincy University said one of its students was seriously injured in the shooting.
Police have not determined a motive and are seeking witnesses with video or photo evidence from the area of Center Street to Franklin Avenue and Emerson Street to Apple Street. No arrests have been made, and police say the incident appears to be isolated with no ongoing threat to public safety. The shooting is the second mass shooting near a college campus in Bloomington-Normal this year, the previous one occurring in March.
As the investigation continues, police ask anyone with information or video from the party to contact the Bloomington Police Department. Services and memorials are being planned by Dettloff's family, friends, and schools.
