A shooting just outside the University of Notre Dame campus sent police scrambling and triggered an emergency shelter-in-place order Saturday night while more than 77,000 football fans packed Notre Dame Stadium for a prime-time rivalry game.
The frightening incident unfolded around 7:30 p.m. near Eddy Street Commons, a busy shopping, dining and entertainment district on the southern edge of the campus in South Bend, Indiana.
South Bend police said Notre Dame officers initially alerted them about a man who had reportedly been seen carrying a gun and pointing it at people in the area.
Officers located someone matching that description near the south end of Eddy Street Commons, but police said the man was not armed when they encountered him.
Then the situation escalated.
As roughly 20 South Bend officers were working in the area, police said a single gunshot rang out near the intersection of Eddy Street and Angela Boulevard.
Officers found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound to her leg. Her injuries were described as non-life-threatening, and she was taken to a hospital for treatment.
A South Bend police officer was also injured by the gunfire. Investigators believe the officer may have been struck by a ricochet or shrapnel. The officer was treated at the scene and was also expected to recover.
Police said another person suffered an injury during the incident that was not caused by gunfire and may have occurred during a fight surrounding the shooting.
The new information is important because initial reports said only one person had been injured. Authorities later clarified that the woman and police officer were both hurt by the gunfire, while a third person suffered a separate injury.
Notre Dame quickly activated its NDAlert emergency notification system.
People inside Notre Dame Stadium were told to remain there, while others around campus were instructed to shelter in place as officers searched for the suspected shooter.
The university’s emergency system is designed to send mass notifications by text, phone, email and campus loudspeakers during major emergencies, including incidents involving active violence.
Authorities described the person they were searching for as a heavyset Black male with dreadlocks who was wearing blue shorts, a black shirt with a red-and-blue design and one white shoe.
Police said the suspected shooter fled west from the area.
Notre Dame, South Bend and St. Joseph County officers worked together to secure the area around Eddy Street Commons and the university. Police also cleared parking garages and building entrances and temporarily closed businesses while investigators tried to determine exactly what had happened.
The shelter-in-place order was later lifted after officials determined there was no continuing threat to the campus.
South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski said authorities were unwilling to take chances with tens of thousands of people nearby, particularly with massive crowds expected to spill out of the stadium after the game.
Despite the emergency outside, the game itself continued.
Notre Dame Stadium had an official attendance of 77,622 for the matchup between No. 3 Notre Dame and Michigan State. The game marked the 80th meeting between the longtime rivals and their first matchup since 2017.
Notre Dame entered halftime with a 17-10 lead before shutting out Michigan State in the second half and winning 27-10.
The victory improved the Fighting Irish to 3-0 and kept the Megaphone Trophy at Notre Dame.
While fans inside the stadium watched the game continue, investigators outside were still working to identify and locate the person responsible for the gunfire.
As of Sunday, the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit was continuing the investigation. Police have asked anyone with information to contact Michiana Crime Stoppers anonymously at 574-288-STOP.
The shooting occurred in an especially sensitive location because Eddy Street Commons sits immediately adjacent to Notre Dame and becomes heavily congested with students, visitors and football fans on game days.
The university’s emergency website now lists the campus as operating under normal conditions.
