Police officer, woman shot near Notre Dame after football tailgates

Gunfire at Notre Dame Campus Leaves Woman, Officer Injured; Suspect Remains at Large

South Bend, Ind. — A single gunshot fired during a post‑tailgate brawl near the University of Notre Dame campus on Saturday night sent a woman and a police officer to the hospital, but both are expected to recover fully. Police are still searching for a suspect who fled the scene.

The incident began at roughly 7:30 p.m. Eastern, when crowds were dispersing from the university’s tailgating parties and moving toward the Eddy Street Commons and the intersection of Eddy Street and Angela Boulevard. According to South Bend Police, the university’s own officers reported seeing a man who appeared to be armed and pointing a firearm at people. When city officers located a suspect matching that description, he was unarmed.

“As approximately 20 South Bend Police Officers were working in Eddy Street Commons and responding to that call, a single gunshot was heard near Eddy Street and Angela Boulevard,” the department posted on Facebook. Officers quickly arrived on the scene, finding a woman who had sustained a non‑life‑threatening leg wound and a police officer who had been injured by a ricochet or shrapnel. Both were transported to a nearby hospital. The officer was “doing fine,” and the woman was “okay,” police confirmed.

The suspect, who has not yet been identified by name, was described as a heavy‑set Black male with dreadlocks. He was wearing blue shorts, a black shirt featuring a red and blue design, and was missing one shoe. He fled westward from the site and remains at large, the department added.

Following the shooting, South Bend Police evacuated surrounding businesses and parking garages and locked down the commercial district as part of an active investigation. Officers urged the public to stay away from the area while a heavy police presence secured the scene. A spokesperson for Fox News Digital reached out to the department for comment, but was only able to repeat the information already posted on Facebook.

The shooting is believed to be unrelated to another incident that occurred later that night, approximately one mile away from the Notre Dame site, which left at least two people dead and another critically injured. Police have not linked the two events.

Officials from the University of Notre Dame have not released additional statements about the incident. The university’s security team continues to work with local law enforcement as they seek to locate the suspect and bring the matter to a close.