A Halloween Night Turns to Heartbreak: Giana Dettloff, 19, North Central College Cheerleader, Killed Among Nine Shot at Bloomington Party

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A Halloween party near Illinois Wesleyan University turned into a scene of terror early Sunday when gunfire struck nine people, killing a 19-year-old college cheerleader, according to Bloomington police.
Officers were called around 1:21 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, to the 100 block of East Division Street after an officer on another call nearby heard about 10 shots. The gathering was in a shared backyard behind rental buildings at 109 E. Division St., with an estimated 150 to 200 people. Police Chief Jamal Simington said the party was "noticeably peaceful, jovial" and that there were no disturbances before the shooting.
McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder identified the person killed as Giana Dettloff, 19, of Carol Stream, a freshman at North Central College in Naperville and a member of its cheerleading team. She was a recent Glenbard North High School graduate who was visiting a friend. Yoder said she died of multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and pelvis. Simington said she was her parents' only daughter and described her as "full of life, a sweet girl with a very bright future."
The eight other victims, ages 16 to 22, include students from Illinois Wesleyan University, Illinois State University and Quincy University, two high school students and a 22-year-old Bloomington man. Several were first listed in critical condition and have since been upgraded to stable, and two were treated and released.
No one is in custody, though Simington said police have been given information about the shooters. The FBI, ATF and Illinois State Police are assisting, and police are asking anyone who attended or has video or photos to come forward.
For Giana's parents, a daughter beginning her college years is gone, and for the eight others and their families, recovery is just beginning. May they all find comfort in the days ahead.