Harvest Homecoming shooting: Community mourns death of high school student

Community members continue to mourn the death of 18-year-old Bryce Gerlach, who was killed in a shooting outside the 2024 Harvest Homecoming Festival in New Albany, Indiana Saturday.

According to a Facebook post from Cordyon Central High School, a candlelight vigil took place at the Harrison County Fairgrounds for Gerlach Sunday night after the school's football team opened its meeting to community members. Counselors were available and also offered additional support at the First Capital Christian Church.

"Our hearts are incredibly heavy today as news was revealed that we have lost Bryce Gerlach," school officials wrote. "There are not enough words to describe the condolences we extend to his family and friends."

Additional counselors will also be on hand at district schools this week in support of students and staff, according to the post.

In a statement, Corydon Central High School Athletic Director John Atkins said the loss of the two-sport athlete is felt by the community, leaving them with an "impossible void to fill."

"Bryce Gerlach was a superb student-athlete, but an even better human being. While he has left a lasting impact on our soccer and football programs as an athlete here at CCHS, the loss of Bryce as a friend and teammate has left our school and community with an impossible void to fill," Atkins said. "We hope that as we move forward we do all we can to honor his memory in a way that he and his family would be proud of."

New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey previously said Gerlach was caught in the crossfire after two groups of people got into a dispute and began firing in the area of State and Black streets at around 9:53 p.m. Saturday. Two other people, a 22-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, were also injured and taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.

Bailey said police believe there were multiple shooters that fired from several areas in the vicinity of the shooting based on witness statements, including one that potentially fired from the carnival area of the festival. Investigators are not revealing details on the total number of shooters believed to be involved, but Bailey said they believe there were at least two.

Police are currently pursuing several people of interest in connection with the case, he said, who are still believed to be a danger to the public.

2024 Harvest Homecoming shooting:18-year-old identified as person killed outside Harvest Homecoming Festival in New Albany

In a statement released Sunday, New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan thanked officers, emergency workers and festival attendees who responded to the shooting.

"I want to offer my condolences to the family of the young man who lost his life last evening in New Albany," Gahan said. “My thoughts and prayers are with them today.”

Gahan continued, “We've enjoyed a safe Harvest Homecoming for nearly 57 years, but sadly, this type of gun violence is now all too common across the United States. Gun violence at a family festival is heartbreaking and tragic, and our country must find a way to come together to stop this type of violence.”

This story has been updated to add video.