Nineteen-year-old cheerleader killed in Bloomington mass shooting
Police say the weekend attack wounded eight students from Illinois Wesleyan, Illinois State, and Quincy universities, leaving no suspects in custody as of Monday.
By Takeshi Davidson ·
Bloomington police confirmed on Monday that no suspects were in custody following a mass shooting that killed a 19-year-old college student and wounded at least eight others over the weekend. The incident occurred near the Illinois Wesleyan University campus, with victims drawn from several different institutions.
The shooting took place at 1:23 a.m. Sunday in the 100 block of East Division Street. Police reported that officers were patrolling the area and responding to a separate call nearby when they heard gunfire. Chief of Police Jamal Simington stated that the party at the off-campus home appeared peaceful before the attack, with no prior disturbances reported.
Giana Dettloff, a cheerleader at North Central College in Naperville, died from multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and pelvic region. McLean County Coroner Kathleen Yoder ruled out close-range firing and noted that toxicology results are still pending. Dettloff, who was originally from Carol Stream, was visiting a friend at the time.
Among those injured were a 19-year-old male Illinois Wesleyan student from Plano with a forearm wound, and an 18-year-old female student from Carol Stream who sustained a leg injury. Both were listed in stable condition. A 19-year-old Illinois State University student from Hoffman Estates was treated and released the morning after the shooting.
A 19-year-old Quincy University student from Woodridge suffered injuries to the chest, arm, and abdomen. Her status improved from critical to stable. Also wounded were a 19-year-old Illinois State student with an ankle injury, a 22-year-old man from Bloomington, an 18-year-old Glenbard North High School student, and a 16-year-old Bloomington High School student who received a graze wound to an extremity.
North Central College President Abiódún Gòkè-Paríolá confirmed Dettloff's role on the cheerleading team in a Monday alert to staff. He directed the campus community to use counseling resources while the investigation continues. Simington described the family as grieving a daughter they called full of life and an athlete.
Glenbard High School District 87 Superintendent Jessica Santee called the event tragic in a written statement. The school's cheerleading team posted on social media that Dettloff had a massive positive influence on the community and that her impact would not be forgotten.
