BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - A vibrant night of college festivities turned deadly early Sunday when gunfire erupted on Kirkwood Avenue, injuring nine people during Indiana University's iconic "Little 500" weekend.

The shooting unfolded around 12:25 a.m. on the 400 block of East Kirkwood Avenue, just one block from campus. Bloomington Police Department (BPD) officers were already monitoring the crowded street – packed with tens of thousands of visitors for the event – when chaos broke out.

Witnesses described a festive atmosphere dissolving into panic as dozens of shots rang out, sending revelers scrambling for cover and fleeing toward Indiana University grounds.

The "Little 500," billed as "The World’s Greatest College Weekend," is the largest collegiate bike race in the U.S. Founded in 1951 and modeled after the Indianapolis 500, it features 33 teams of four riders competing relay-style on identical single-speed bikes with coaster brakes at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

The event gained global fame through the 1979 Oscar-winning film Breaking Away, which showcased local "Cutters" challenging fraternity teams.

According to preliminary reports, the violence stemmed from a physical altercation between two women. One witness told reporters: “I didn’t think too much of it at first... But then I saw a girl … start firing. By then, I was already running the other way.” Emergency services responded swiftly: six victims went by ambulance, one in a police car, and two in private vehicles. One injured person was found at a nearby gas station. Authorities have not yet clarified how many suffered direct gunshot wounds versus ricochet injuries.

Indiana University sent multiple "IU Notify" alerts urging students to shelter in place. No shots hit campus property, but the incident is the second mass casualty event near a Big Ten campus in eight days, following a shooting near the University of Iowa that wounded five.

As of Sunday morning, no suspects are in custody. BPD, with help from Indiana State Police and Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deployed drones and helicopters to scour the area. The investigation continues amid heightened security for the ongoing Little 500 events.