A shooting at a block party in Muncie, Indiana early Sunday, July 30, resulted in one person killed and at least 17 others injured.
The incident was reported at around 1:14 am in the area of South Hackley Street and East Willard Street, where a large gathering was taking place.
Several calls about the shooting were received by dispatchers, leading to a response from emergency services. Due to the number of victims and the seriousness of the situation, assistance was sought from several agencies, including police officers from the adjacent Eaton Police Department.
John L. Vance Jr., 36, from Yorktown was charged on Friday, August 4, with two counts of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness in connection with the shooting. The prosecutor’s office said that Vance is not yet charged with the killing of 30-year-old Joseph Bonner of Muncie at the shooting incident. Court documents reveal that two of the wounded told police they saw Vance arguing with a man, later identified as Bonner, who died at the scene. One victim said he saw Vance pull out a handgun and he heard shots. Vance was identified in photos shown to the witnesses by police.
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie stated that at least 17 wounded victims were treated in their emergency department. As of Sunday morning, more than a dozen of them remained in the hospital in stable condition. Several victims with severe injuries were flown to other medical facilities.