This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, April 27th, 2026.

In today’s newscast, a shooting happened outside Five Guys on Kirkwood Avenue during Little 500 weekend. WFHB News reports on a press conference with city officials on Sunday and speaks with residents on Kirkwood about their reaction to the violence.

You’ll also hear Anna Goodrich from Honors Bloomington Outreach, seeking more students to volunteer at Fairview Elementary. Find out how you can get involved later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

Five people injured in Kirkwood shooting during Little 500 weekend

Five people were injured in a shooting on Kirkwood Avenue in the early hours of Sunday morning.

This comes during Little 500 weekend, one of the city’s largest annual events, that draws thousands of people to Bloomington. The incident sparked concerns about public safety during one of the largest events of the year.

Mayor Kerry Thomson held a press conference at city hall on Sunday, condemning the violence on Kirkwood.

“It is, of course, an incredibly sad day anytime there’s violence in our community,” said Thomson. “We condemn gun violence unequivocally in any form, and my thoughts are with those that were injured.”

Police Chief Mike Diekhoff clarified that five people were injured in the shooting, fewer than the 9 people initially reported. Diekhoff says all the victims are in stable condition.

“The other people we believe were injured when they ran from the scene, and those included injuries such as cuts and scrapes from falling while running,” said Diekhoff. “All were treated and released, except one who is had been admitted in this stable condition.”

Diekhoff said a fight broke out between two women outside Five Guys on Kirkwood. According to security camera and cell phone footage obtained by the Bloomington Police Department, two males involved in the fight both drew hand guns and fired their weapons.

“At that point, everyone began running from the scene, and officers rushed to the area began to look for victims,” he said.

The police chief said the crowds were estimated to be two to three thousand people. Jeremy Hogan of the Bloomingtonian captured footage of unrest on Kirkwood. This footage happened prior to the shooting after a possible armed person was reported on city police scanners at around 10 p.m.

The incident prompted concerns about public safety during large events. Mayor Thomson says while police maintained a presence on Kirkwood, the city’s ability to prevent gun violence proves limited under state law.

“In Bloomington, unfortunately, Indiana gun laws prohibit such action, and if the gun laws remain as they are, anyone can open carry. We encourage people not to bring guns to gatherings, and we encourage you to speak up to those who can change our gun laws,” she said.

Chief Diekhoff says police were active on the scene; however, the large crowd made it difficult to take control of the situation.

“It would have become a resource issue. And our belief was, if we tried to move the crowd, that would have caused more problems,” he said.

Diekhoff says the investigation is ongoing and encourages anyone with any details to contact the Bloomington Police Department at 812-339-4477.

Featured Segments:

WFHB News went to Kirkwood earlier today to capture residents’ reactions to the shooting during Little 500 weekend. We spoke to residents outside Five Guys where the shooting took place, asking them their thoughts on public safety for large events and what could be done to prevent violence like this in the future.

Up next, we have the latest edition of B Square Bites – a collaboration between the B Square Bulletin and WFHB. This next edition is titled “Bloomington council OKs residential TIF for Summit, now back to RDC for final step.” That’s coming up next on WFHB.

Honors Bloomington Outreach is a community service program for IU honors students. Fairview Elementary is one of their favorite places to connect with the Bloomington community. Whether they’re reading stories with kids, helping with homework, or leading fun activities, president Anna Goodrich says those afternoons at Fairview are special for both the kids and the students. The outreach team also spends time at Bell Trace Senior Living Center, playing games and building relationships with residents there. Sometimes they do other service projects like blankets for the Shalom Center. Anna says ALL students are welcome to join their service projects, not just honors students, on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.

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