21-year-old Indianapolis man dead after apparent IU fraternity party shooting

[steven36]

A shooting at a fraternity's costume party near Lake Monroe around 12:30 a.m. Sunday left one man dead and another in critical condition.

 

Kemontie Johnson, 21, was pronounced dead around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the Monroe County Coroner. Johnson was from Indianapolis, and an IU spokesperson confirmed he was not a student.

 

Monroe County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Steve Hale said Johnson was shot in the neck and body multiple times. Police said 300-400 people were at the party and many were trampled as they ran from the shots. 

 

“Something that was supposed to be fun turned deadly,” Hale said.

 

 

Johnson’s autopsy was scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday. One other individual suffered injuries but was treated and released on scene.

 

The shooting took place at a sold-out costume party called “A Nightmare in B-Town” put on by IU’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. The party was held in an event space at Eagle Pointe Golf Resort.

 

The second victim was shot in the head and is suffering from extensive brain swelling, police said. The victim was flown to the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, according to the sheriff’s office.

Sunday afternoon, police confirmed the man was in “massively critical” condition. The Sheriff’s Office had no update on his condition Monday morning.

 

Detectives believe there was only one shooter who fled the area, according to a post on the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department Facebook page. The shooter had still not been located at 10 a.m. Monday.

 

Hale said the shooter was likely from out of town.

 

Police are searching for a suspect but have received conflicting descriptions of the shooter. 

 

Monday morning, Detective Mason Peach said the department still has a lot of work to do.

 

“We have a mountain of people that we need to speak with,” he said.

 

Peach was on scene after the party cleared out and police tape went up. He said pieces of costumes lay strewn about the venue when he arrived.

 

Malique Booth, president of Kappa Alpha Psi at IU, said in a text Sunday afternoon that the chapter is cooperating with its national headquarters, Eagle Pointe and the sheriff's office on the case. 

"We express our condolences to the families of those impacted," Booth said.

 

IU's National Pan-Hellenic Council, which Kappa Alpha Psi is a member of, released a statement Sunday night saying the council is saddened by the weekend's events.

 

"At times like this, it is important that we stand together as one IU and progress forward,” the statement read.

 

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