A mass shooting occurred near the campus of Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) early Sunday morning, leaving one person dead and eight others injured. The shooting took place at a party at the Chevy Chase Community Center in White Township, about a mile away from the university. The center was rented out for a private event that required a fee to enter. About 150 people were inside when someone opened fire around 12:30 a.m
The person who died is identified as a 22-year-old man from Pittsburgh. An 18-year-old from Chicago is in critical condition at the hospital, and five others wounded are also hospitalized. Besides the 18-year-old from Chicago, the seven others injured are between ages 18 and 23, with one from Florida and the rest from Pennsylvania. A spokesperson for IUP said at least two of the nine people shot were students
Who is responsible?
Pennsylvania State Police say there may be more than one shooter and they are still at large. They have not released any information about the suspects or the motive behind the shooting. They are asking anyone with information to contact them
The circumstances behind the party remain unclear, but it was IUP’s homecoming weekend. A spokesperson for IUP told KDKA that the school did not sponsor the party, but confirmed students were there
IUP’s alert system sent messages to students to stay in a secure location until 6:40 a.m. The university also offered counseling services to students and staff affected by the shooting
How did the community react?
The shooting shocked and saddened the community, especially those who live near the community center. Ellen Ober, who lives with her husband Robert Miller just feet from the center, told KDKA that they heard about 20 gunshots and saw people running out of the building in panic. “There were young people there and they shouldn’t have been on the sidewalk bleeding,” Ober said. “It’s too scary and too much.”
Miller said he saw people trampling over one another, some exiting by the center’s deck, breaking off a part of a fence. “I knew something bad was going on,” he said
On Facebook, the center’s executive director, Brandi Ports, released a statement saying that they are praying for everyone involved in the incident and that they will be closed until further notice. “Please be in prayer for those involved, for our community, and for our staff and volunteers,” Ports wrote
