A mass shooting at a private party five minutes away from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus has left 1 person dead and 8 others injured. The shooting occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning at the Chevy Chase Community Center.
Pennsylvania State Police say there may have been more than one gunman and that they are still at large. About 150 people were present inside the community center at the time of the gunfire according to police.
The individual killed has been identified as 22-year-old Jamar Herriot Jr. of Pittsburgh. The eight people wounded are all within the age range of 18-23, two are non-local, while the rest are from the Pittsburgh area.
The party, which required an entrance fee, was incorrectly billed as the “Official IUP Homecoming afterparty” despite not being officially sanctioned by the university according to an IUP spokesperson. IUP has confirmed that two of the wounded victims are students at the university.
Robert Miller, who lives near the community center told reporters, “I was hearing a commotion, then I got up, and I heard at least 20 gunshots coming from that building, and when I came out to see, I saw five people lying on the sidewalk out here.”
Pennsylvania State Police Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens informed the media that several firearms have been recovered from the crime scene and that the investigation to uncover the perpetrators is in progress.
There was an increased police presence at IUP on Monday in order to ease the minds of worried students and faculty. IUP sophomore Neveah Parente said, “It was really scary thinking about how I’m connected to all of that. I also heard someone died and that’s like really tragic and really scary.”
Anybody with information about the perpetrators of this mass shooting should call the Indiana barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police, at 724-357-1960. PA Crime Stoppers is offering a $10,000 dollar reward for information that leads to any arrests. The ATF is also offering a $5,000 dollar reward.
