Bloomington stabbing suspect in custody
Ian XV Thorpe, 24, of Bloomington, has been arrested and preliminarily charged with Attempted Murder, level 1 felony. The Bloomington Police Department is investigating the stabbing which occurred yesterday at a hotel on Bloomington’s north side. One victim is currently hospitalized as a result.
In the early morning of July 29th, officers responded to the Wingate by Wyndham hotel, located at 1722 N. Walnut Street, in reference to a disturbance. It was reported that a woman was running throughout the hotel asking for help and a man was walking through the building covered in blood. Upon the arrival of officers, the male victim, a 27 year-old man from Ellettsville, was located in a room on the second floor with stab wounds to both his left arm and chest. The victim was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital where he is believed to be in stable condition.
While investigating at the scene, it was determined that the stabbing had occurred in the parking lot of the hotel. The victim and suspect had reportedly gotten into a physical altercation and at some point during the fight, the victim had been stabbed multiple times. A female witness as well as the victim were able to provide investigators with the name of the suspect. During the investigation, Officers observed a blue Ford Escape in the parking lot of the hotel attempting to navigate through the crime scene. The vehicle was stopped by officers and Ian Thorpe, the suspect, was lying in the back seat of the SUV. Thorpe was taken into custody without incident and transported to police headquarters for an interview. Investigators also located clothing believed to have been worn by Thorpe at the time of the altercation, as well as the knife believed to have been used in the assault.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Bloomington Police.
Efforts to Protect and Support Bloomington’s Crestmont Community
Throughout July, Bloomington city leaders have been coordinating efforts to protect residents and support resident-led community-building activity in the wake of recent violence in the area of the Crestmont Residential Community. City staff have directed efforts in the following ways:
- The Bloomington Police Department (BPD) is continuing its investigation into two shootings at the Crestmont Park playground on July 2 and 8 that injured four people, and a report of multiple shots fired at a residential address in the nearby Crescent Bend neighborhood on July 21. The BPD is working with assistance from federal and state agencies. Since the first incident, the BPD has increased its patrols of the Crestmont Residential Community, including the presence of officers on foot. The BPD encourages anyone with information about these crimes to contact the department at (812) 339-4477. Callers may report information anonymously.
- The City is addressing an increase in parking demand and parking-related challenges on West Illinois Court that began after improvements were made to the adjacent playground by implementing approximately 21 angle (pull-in) parking spaces along portions of the street, including a designated ADA space with access aisle to an existing sidewalk ramp. The unstriped areas will be designated as no-parking areas. It is anticipated that striping of the new spaces and installation of the no parking signs will be completed next week.
- Part of the City’s Community and Family Resources Department, the Safe and Civil City program is in coordination with the Bloomington Housing Authority (BHA) Residents’ Council to develop programs to help open communications, empower residents, and reinforce partnerships between the City and the Residents’ Council. The City, BHA, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington will host the Crestmont Community Cookout Saturday, August 7 from 1-4 p.m. at the Crestmont Court Circle. The free public event will feature food, music, games, and a resource fair, highlighting programming available through the Parks and Recreation department, the Boys and Girls Club, and Head Start, among other agencies.
Ivy Tech enrollment event to be held Saturday, August 7th
Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus is open for fall registration and is hosting an Ivy Bash enrollment event on Saturday, August 7, 2021, from 10am – 2pm where prospective and returning students can enroll. To celebrate a full return to classes on campus this fall, attendees of Ivy Bash who enroll in classes will be automatically entered to win a tuition-free Fall Semester 2021. Attendees can also get a free T-shirt, and food items will be provided. Local radio stations Hoosier Country 105 and B97 will be on-location hosting a live remote broadcast.
Students who start this fall will benefit from the college’s new tuition model, Ivy+, by having their tuition frozen for two years, getting free classes after 12 credit hours per semester, and free textbooks for at least the 2021-22 academic year. Making college even more affordable, students who qualify, have the opportunity to earn a tuition-free certificate, which is paid for by the state’s Workforce Ready Grant. For more information about tuition-free job certification programs offered at Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus, visit the campus Next Level Jobs webpage.
To get started at Ivy Tech, apply now at ivytech.edu/apply, call 812-330-6013, and/or email askBloomington@ivytech.edu. Then attend the Saturday event to complete enrollment steps toward classes that start this fall on August 18 and October 20.