What happened to Joseph Bonner III? Muncie mass shooting victim identified as 1 killed and dozens more injured at a block party

Joseph Bonner III, a 30-year-old man, was killed and dozens more were injured, after a mass shooting at a party in Muncie, Indiana, on Sunday, July 30. The incident reportedly unfolded on early Sunday morning when a gunman opened fire at a block party on the south side of Muncie.

In a press release, police said that on Sunday around 1:14 am, dispatchers received a call for shots fired in the area of S. Hackley St. and E. Willard St. Shortly after, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, reportedly converged on the scene due to the number of victims shot in the incident. Upon arrival, authorities secured the scene and announced no active threat to the community.

Authorities revealed that one man had died while 19 others were treated at Ball Memorial Hospital's emergency room. The man who died was identified as Joseph Bonner III died. A few critical patients were reportedly transported to other facilities.

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Police have yet to identify the suspect in the Muncie mass shooting that killed Joseph Bonner III

In a Facebook post briefly detailing the incident, police said that Joseph Bonner III, who also goes by Joe Smooth, was fatally shot at a party in Muncie, Indiana. Police have not revealed additional information in the case, including the suspect's identity. Meanwhile, there’s no indication that Joseph Bonner III was involved in the shooting.

While police remained silent on the salient points in the case, an unidentified man whose nephew was allegedly wounded at the party told Fox 59 that a stranger nursing a grudge against one of the attendees opened fire at the scene. In a statement to fox news, the anonymous man said:

"Stranger comes up and decides to take it personal on somebody he knows in the crowd. And you can’t fight against an AR. He let loose in the crowd. Everywhere in the crowd.”

Meanwhile, CNN affiliate WISH citing a witness reported that people carrying weapons at the scene began randomly firing at the victims. However, in a statement, Delaware County Prosecutor Eric Hoffman said that authorities are still exploring the circumstances of the incident.

“It is too early in the investigation for me to say much. I can say that I have been in contact with the Muncie Chief of Police, and I continue to get updates on the investigation.”

Hoffman also questioned the sensibility of holding a block party past midnight for several hundred people, including minors in a residential neighborhood.

"There are far too many guns on the street, and I certainly question the wisdom of someone having a huge outdoor party with several hundred people, including juveniles, carrying on into the early morning hours. Let’s take a dose of reality. This is not the Vegas Strip or Times Square. This is a residential neighborhood.”

Meanwhile, the Muncie Homecoming Festival committee, while condoling the incident, noted that the city did not sanction the block party.

“The loss of life and multiple injuries occurred at a local block party that was not a part of the official MHF weeklong celebration events and programming, but has certainly left us all bereft as our community mourns together.”

As authorities continue to investigate the case, they have yet to share information about potential motives in the incident that killed Joseph Bonner III. Meanwhile, they asked anyone with information to contact the Muncie Police Department Detective Division at 765-747-4867 or Muncie Police Dispatch at 765-747-4838.