SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Police Department released a video Monday afternoon from Sunday morning’s shooting on East Bissell Street and increased the victim count to four persons shot and wounded from three and the number of rounds fired from 100 to more than 200.
In addition to 21 seconds of surveillance video obtained by detectives in which dozens of gunshots are heard, some of them rapid-fire, the video also contains a statement by South Bend Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski. The video has been intentionally blurred for investigative purposes.
“Those bullets flying, 200-plus of them, are going to land somewhere, and we see, besides the houses, besides the vehicles, they’re in the people, and four that we know of right now,” he said in his statement.
In addition to the four known victims, multiple homes and vehicles were struck by the gunfire.
Just before 1:15 a.m. Sunday, July 28, South Bend Police responded to shots fired in the 1300 block of East Bissell Street.
Police originally said three people had been shot and transported to the hospital for treatment. But by Monday afternoon, officials learned about a fourth victim who self-transported to the hospital late Sunday afternoon.
Ruszkowski said the incident had “spread out” from an “event” at Coquillard Park, which is two blocks north of Bissell, that had caused the police to shut down the park.
“People just seemed to converge in the neighborhood, surrounding neighborhood, several blocks in all directions,” he said.
In response to criticisms he had received that the police had done nothing Sunday morning, Ruszkowski said that even as police tried to disperse the crowd on the streets, some people moved from Coquillard Park to downtown, which caused the department “to send some resources downtown to move that crowd along.”
Further, Ruszkowski said, the incident has “two components”: the criminal and the human.
“They’re criminals that are doing this,” he said. “It is a crime to do this. But there’s a human aspect that doesn’t seem to be any regard for human life or safety, a couldn’t-care-less attitude. … They’re our parents, they’re our siblings, they’re our friends who know people are running around here with rifles, with drum magazines, automatic weapons and say and do nothing.”
Near the end of the video, clearer but silent footage from Bissell Street plays while Ruszkowski references a July 2023 shooting on West Washington Street where three people were shot at a party attended by more than 200 people, many of whom hindered first responders’ ability to reach the victims or control the situation.
He appears to voice his frustration at the lack of cooperation from the public in both incidents.
“That makes them either witnesses or they’re involved, and nobody’s saying anything when it comes to this,” Ruszkowski said in Monday’s video before imploring people to contact Michiana Crime Stoppers with information.
Anonymous tips can be made to Michiana Crime Stoppers by calling 574-288-STOP or visiting michianacrimestoppers.com .
Tips about firearm-related crimes that lead to an arrest may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.
The South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit continues to investigate.
Tips can also be left with the Detective Bureau at 574-235-9263.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Video shows hundreds of shots fired in South Bend neighborhood, police ask for public help
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