A tragic shooting incident at the Harvest Homecoming festival in southern Indiana resulted in the death of an 18-year-old Corydon Central High School student and injuries to two others. According to FOX59, the New Albany Police Department confirmed that officers were dispatched to State and Black Streets around 9:53 p.m. upon reports of the shooting. The initial response found three victims with gunshot wounds; Bryce Gerlach, the student, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other two victims, a 22-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, are recovering with non-life-threatening injuries at local hospitals; aside from their ages, identities and conditions were detailed in statements and their plight is urging the community to reckon with the burst of violence that erupted at what was otherwise a convivial town gathering, as reported by WDRB, the local law enforcement believes that the victims were innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire of a dispute between groups.
During a press conference, New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey described the event as a "senseless act of violence" and stated that "all three victims were innocent bystanders" who were not related to the dispute that led to the shooting, this sentiment was echoed by New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan, whose statement offered condolences and lamented the prevalence of gun violence, arguing that the United States must "find a way to come together to stop this type of violence," in statements obtained by both WDRB and WISH-TV.
The New Albany Police Department has preliminarily identified the suspect as a Black male with dreadlocks wearing a red-ish hoodie, and he currently remains at large, considered armed and dangerous multiple suspects described as Black males in their late teens to early 20s fled the scene, and although several persons of interest have been identified, the investigation is ongoing to apprehend them according to what Bailey told WDRB, he said, "I would say yes," when asked if they should be considered dangerous, and his department pledged to work "tirelessly to bring them to justice."
In response to the incident, the Harvest Homecoming Festival organizers canceled all events scheduled for Sunday out of respect for the victims and for the " overall wellbeing of our patrons, vendors, and volunteers," a decision that reflects the deep impact of the shooting on the New Albany community, as mentioned in a follow-up post on the festival's Facebook page.