Three people have died and at least 29 others have been injured in separate shootings near five US college communities during a weekend of Halloween gatherings, football celebrations and large parties.
Police in Indiana, Delaware, Alabama, Illinois and Colorado were investigating incidents reported between Saturday night and the early hours of Sunday. The shootings were not reported to be connected.
Three killed in shootings near US college communities
In Birmingham, Alabama, one person was killed and eight others were wounded after the Magic City Classic football game between Alabama A&M and Alabama State.
Officers found nine people suffering from gunshot wounds in the 400 block of Graymont Avenue West shortly after 7.50pm local time on Saturday. One victim was in a critical condition, while the other seven injured people were described as stable.
Police said one person had been detained for questioning and that multiple weapons had been recovered. Nearly 70,000 people had attended the annual rivalry match at nearby Legion Field, which Alabama A&M won 31-28.
In Bloomington, Illinois, eight people were shot near Illinois Wesleyan University at about 1.25am on Sunday. A 19-year-old woman died at the scene, while seven others were taken to hospital, including a woman who remained in a critical condition.
The university said two of those injured were Illinois Wesleyan students and had suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Bloomington police are leading the investigation with assistance from Illinois State Police, the McLean County sheriff’s office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A separate shooting in Boulder, Colorado, killed one University of Colorado Boulder student and left another critically injured.
Boulder police said officers were called to a house in the 700 block of Marine Street at about 11.28pm on Saturday and found two 19-year-old men with gunshot wounds. Both were taken to hospital, where one later died.
The incident followed an earlier police response to a noise complaint involving a large party at the property. Officers cited the residents for holding a nuisance party, after which hundreds of people left. Detectives believe a smaller group later tried to force its way into the house before shots were fired inside.
Police said they had interviewed about 20 witnesses and released images of two people described as persons of interest. No arrests had been announced.
In Bloomington, Indiana, seven people between the ages of 17 and 27 were shot near Indiana University after a large crowd gathered around Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street during the university’s homecoming weekend.
Officers monitoring the area heard gunfire at about 1.30am and saw a man carrying a firearm running away, police said. The man was detained near Dunn Meadow, where officers recovered a gun and shell casings, although investigators said it was not yet clear whether he had fired any shots.
No deaths were reported in Bloomington, and police said they were still determining whether there were additional victims. A disturbance in the crowd may have preceded the gunfire.
In Newark, Delaware, police were investigating a shooting near East Main Street and Choate Street at about 11.13pm on Saturday. The University of Delaware said victims were receiving medical treatment, while local reports indicated that at least six people had been hospitalised.
The university said Main Street was closed while Newark police investigated and urged students and staff to rely on official campus alerts for confirmed information. University president Laura Carlson said the incident had affected the wider community, including people who witnessed the violence.
The five investigations remained ongoing on Sunday, with police in each city appealing for information and working to establish what led to the shootings.
