This past week there were three instances in Bloomington where guns were used in violent crimes. Students are saying being in a college town alone presents its own threats, but fear is heightened when crimes become violent and gun-related. Last Thursday, a man was robbed at gunpoint at a bus station, a man shot at two others at South Winslow apartment complex, and Friday night 22-year-old Charutha Bandara was arrested after being accussed of  threatening another man with a gun, pressing it against his head.

Bandara allegedly left a mark on the other man’s head with a glock. The other man was in Bandara’s apartment helping move Bandara’s girlfriend out of their apartment. Police say they found the gun and large amounts of marijuana and money in the apartment. Bandara was arrested on preliminary charges of pointing a firearm at another, along with battery, dealing marijuana and intimidation.

An acquaintance of Bandara’s, Heidi Neigo, says she was shocked when she heard about the incident because, “Charutha seemed like a nice guy.”  “I can’t believe someone I have met had the temptation to do that to somebody,” Neigo said. She says you never know when you see someone at the bar, at a party, or even in class  is struggling with something that may trigger them to act out in violence.

According to AmericanProgress.org a person is most likely to be a victim of gun violence between the ages of 17 and 29, which means almost all of IU’s students fit that demographic.

One death and one student injury has already resulted from a shooting this year just right off campus. Two men came to Bloomington apartment Plato’s Court to pick up marijuana from two other men. They decided to rob the men of the marijuana instead of paying for it like planned, which led to the deadly shooting. Plato’s Court is just west of the football stadium, just off campus. Captain Craig Munroe of IUPD says the last gun-related homicide actually on campus was in 1992. He says it is very rare that IUPD runs into issues with people carrying guns just to commit crimes. He says most of the time guns are reported on campus, the carrier is simply not aware of the “no weapons” policy at IU.

He says if you are on campus and encounter a gun, call IUPD immediately and they will secure the weapon. He says always assume a weapon is loaded and never touch a gun near the trigger, unless your intent is to pull it.

AmericanProgress.org