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Mayor condemns racist speculation about Kirkwood shooting

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson
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Mayor Kerry Thomson said people have been calling and emailing her office with speculation about the shooters’ origin and skin color.

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson took to social media Monday to decry what she described as racist speculation about a shooting that occurred Saturday on Kirkwood Avenue after the Little 500 bike race.

“I want to explicitly condemn the racism that is happening when people make comments with assumptions about race or who belongs or who's from here and who's not from here,” she said in a video. “That is not who we are, Bloomington.”

Five people were injured by gunfire downtown during a dispute between two groups, according to Bloomington police, and four more people were injured during the aftermath. All but one were released from the hospital by Sunday afternoon, though one remained in stable condition.

Thomson said the city still does not know who was involved, where they were from or what affiliations they may have with Bloomington.

But Thomson said people have been calling and emailing her office with speculation, including about the shooters’ origin and skin color.

“I reject the language that makes people feel that they must justify their presence here. Everyone is welcome in Bloomington,” she said. “We can and will take public safety very seriously, without trying to fear or assumptions about who belongs here.”

Some commenters on social media blamed out-of-towners and referred to the race of people in videos following the shooting. Some also blamed what they saw as failures in Bloomington’s policy regarding homelessness.

Indiana University has hosted the Little 500 bike race for over 75 years. Out-of-town attendance has grown in recent years, and shootings and arrests have grabbed headlines. The event has struggled with racial inclusiveness, most recently from discomfort with racist posts online.

Police ask anyone with information about the shooting to call (812) 339-4477.

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Ethan Sandweiss is a multimedia journalist for Indiana Public Media. He has previously worked with KBOO News as an anchor, producer, and reporter. Sandweiss was raised in Bloomington and graduated from Reed College with a degree in History.

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