NORMAL, Ill. — A gunshot shattered the Sunday evening calm at Illinois State University, leaving one person wounded near the bustling Bone Student Center in Normal. The incident, reported just before 8 p.m. on April 27, 2025, sent campus police scrambling and students ducking for cover as authorities issued urgent alerts to steer clear of the area.
The shooting unfolded during a registered student organization event at the Bone Student Center, a hub for campus gatherings on West Locust Street. A fight broke out in the entryway, and shots rang out, striking one individual who was not an ISU student. Details about the victim’s condition remain scarce, and their identity has not been released. The suspect, described as a slender Black male, about 5-foot-10 with afro-style hair and dressed in all black, was last seen bolting south from University and College Streets. Police are still hunting for him, with no arrests reported.
Campus alerts buzzed out at 7:55 p.m., warning of shots fired and urging precaution. By 8:16 p.m., police cordoned off University and Locust Streets, advising everyone to avoid the Bone Student Center as officers swept the scene. No shelter-in-place order was issued, and classes were set to continue Monday. The Bone Student Center, however, stayed shuttered, with all Monday events canceled and staff told to stay home unless instructed otherwise.
Witnesses described chaos. A freshman working event staff heard the gunfire from the back of the venue, where a large sorority event was underway, drawing families and even kids. Nearby, some barricaded themselves in the Bowling and Billiards Center, mistaking the commotion for a fire when alarms blared. Police, armed with rifles, blocked off nearby apartment complex exits late into the night, though no explanation was given.
This marks the second shooting in seven months near the Bone Student Center. Last September, a pop-up party near University and Locust Streets turned deadly, leaving one killed and another critically injured. That case, tied to an unsanctioned gathering of over 1,000 people, led to murder charges against a Chicago man. Normal has seen a string of gun violence, with two fatal shootings and five injuries in 2024 alone.
Authorities are asking for tips at ISUPolice@ilstu.edu or 309-438-8631. Information on retrieving belongings left at the Bone Student Center will come later, police said. The investigation, backed by local agencies, continues as the campus grapples with the aftermath.