BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS | PUBLIC SAFETY | November 4, 2026
Quick Take
- Giana Dettloff, a 19-year-old cheerleader at North Central College, was killed when gunfire broke out at a Halloween party near Illinois Wesleyan University.
- Nine people between 16 and 22 were shot in a shared backyard, and Dettloff died at the scene.
- No one is in custody, and police are asking partygoers to share any photos or video from that night.
What’s happening?
A Chicago-area community is mourning Dettloff, who had driven about two hours to Bloomington to spend Halloween weekend with one of her best friends. Her family described her as joyful, confident and full of life.
Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington said she was her parents’ only daughter. He spent more than an hour with her parents on Sunday morning after they learned she had been killed.
Where and when?
Police received reports of gunfire around 1:30 AM on Sunday, November 1, at a party in a common backyard behind rental homes in the 100 block of East Division Street. The block sits next to the Illinois Wesleyan baseball field.
Between 150 and 200 people were at the party. Simington said he had personally patrolled the area beforehand and described the gathering as peaceful, with no disturbances reported before the shooting. When shots rang out, everyone fled. Officers gave first aid, including CPR and tourniquets, until paramedics arrived.
By the Numbers
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| People shot | 9 |
| People killed | 1 |
| Ages of victims | 16 to 22 |
| Estimated crowd size | 150 to 200 |
Who was Giana Dettloff?
Dettloff, of Carol Stream, was a freshman cheerleader at North Central College in Naperville and a graduate of Glenbard North High School. She was known for her bright smile and for coaching and encouraging younger cheerleaders.
Her former principal, John Mensik, called her one of the standout students of his two decades at the school, saying she had a way of making everyone she met feel important. Her college cheer team remembered her as sweet, caring and someone who made their school better.
Who feels it most?
Her parents and brothers are facing an unimaginable loss, and her teammates carried flowers across the North Central College campus on Monday in her honor. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family.
The eight wounded victims include students from Illinois Wesleyan, Illinois State, Quincy University and local high schools. Several have been upgraded to stable condition, and some were treated and released. According to posts shared by people close to the family, a public visitation is planned for Thursday, with a private funeral Mass and burial.
What comes next?
Bloomington police, Illinois State Police, the ATF and the FBI are investigating. Police have not said how many shooters were involved or what led to the gunfire. It is the second mass shooting near a college campus in Bloomington-Normal this year.
Anyone who attended the party or has photos or video is asked to contact Detective Pedro Diaz at (309) 434-2532.
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