Shooting at ISU's Bone Student Center Leaves 1 Injured, Suspect Still at Large -

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April 27 | Normal, IL

One person was injured Sunday night in a shooting during a student organization event at the Bone Student Center on Illinois State University’s (ISU) campus. The shooting, which occurred around 7:40 p.m., took place in the entryway of the Bone during what ISU described as a “registered student organization event.”

Authorities have not named the student group involved, but witnesses reported that one of the events was a large sorority gathering attended by families, supporters, and children. ISU confirmed the injured individual is not a student. The victim’s condition remains unknown as of Monday morning.

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The suspect, still at large, was last seen running south from the Bone Student Center. He is described as a slender Black male, approximately 5-foot-10, with afro-style hair and dressed entirely in black. ISU Police, with assistance from local law enforcement, are actively investigating.

Witnesses described scenes of confusion and panic. Freshman Maya Serrano, working the event, said she helped attendees exit the venue amid the chaos. “It was like a flood,” she said. Others, like senior James Friedman and former student Dan Bazan, sheltered for over an hour inside the nearby Bowling and Billiards Center after hearing the fire alarm and later learning it was an active shooter situation.

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ISU issued its first emergency alert at 7:55 p.m., and by 8:16 p.m., students were told to avoid the area around University and Locust streets. Authorities later blocked exits to the nearby Lodge on Willow student apartments with heavily armed officers, though it’s unclear if that was directly related.

The Bone Student Center was closed Sunday night and remains closed Monday. Events scheduled there have been canceled, and employees are advised not to report unless instructed.

This marks the second shooting near the Bone Student Center in seven months and the third shooting incident in Normal so far this year. ISU officials have stated more information will be provided soon on how students can retrieve belongings left behind during the evacuation.