Carol Stream teen killed in Bloomington mass shooting; Several other suburban students injured
Authorities today identified a 19-year-old Glenbard North High School graduate and North Central College student as the person killed in a mass shooting early Sunday during a Halloween party in downstate Bloomington.
Gianna Dettloff of Carol Stream was one of nine people shot at the gathering, which took place in a backyard near the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University. Another recent Glenbard North graduate was among the victims.
“According to her parents, she was their only daughter,” Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington said during a news conference Monday morning. “She was described as full of life, a sweet girl with a very bright future, and an athlete.”
Dettloff was in Bloomington visiting one of her best friends at a local university, he added.
According to Simington, an officer near the scene of the shooting in the 100 block of East Division Street heard 10 shots fired at about 1:21 a.m. The officer arrived about a minute later and found a young man suffering from a gunshot wound.
The officer proceeded to a shared backyard between homes and discovered additional gunshot victims, the chief said. The victims ranged in age from 16 to 22 years old, and seven of them were female, Simington said.
Among them is an 18-year-old Carol Stream woman who suffered a leg injury. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to stable condition, Simington said.
A 19-year-old Quincy University student from Woodridge suffered chest, arm and abdomen injuries, Simington said. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to stable.
Among the other victims was a 19-year-old Illinois State University female student from Hoffman Estates, who was treated and released, he added.
Simington said police have general descriptions of the suspect, or suspects, and detectives are “working diligently” to solve the case.
In a message Sunday, Glenbard High School District 87 Superintendent Jessica Santee said the school community is deeply saddened by the tragic shooting.
“Our connection to students doesn’t end when they graduate, they will always remain part of our school community,” she said.
szalusky@dailyherald.com