2 students injured, 3 men wanted by police after shooting near IUP campus

INDIANA, Pa. — Detectives “worked throughout the night” at two side-by-side crime scenes near the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus Friday night after an armed robbery and shooting.

Police said two homes at 835 and 841 Wayne Avenue were occupied when around 8 p.m. three men “trying to conceal their identity” burst into both homes, one right after the other. They stole items from one house and a fight began at the second. That’s when a gun one of the suspects was carrying went off, leaving a victim with a gunshot wound to the neck.

Officers responded to an armed robbery call at the first location and while they were there is when the shooting is believed to have occurred at the second location.

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When police got to the crime scene, officers found two people who had been injured, but only one victim was shot, according to police. Both victims were taken to the hospital, and their conditions were not released. University officials confirmed that the people injured were students.

In a message to students, the school described the three suspects as males wearing black clothing and ski masks. Police said the suspects were “attempting to obstruct their identities.”

Neither the victims nor the suspects have been identified by authorities.

Investigators said this was not a random incident and officers do not believe there is a “current risk to community safety,” according to a release from police.

Students at IUP were initially ordered by the university to stay locked in after the shooting was reported.

Police gave an update on Sunday, saying they continue pursuing leads. They also said cell phones stolen from 835 Wayne Avenue were discarded near the intersection of Philadelphia Street and College Lodge Road and have since been recovered.

Police said they will give another update on Monday.

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