BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington Police Department has arrested two individuals, including a man charged with murder, following a fatal shooting that occurred on September 26, 2025, near the intersection of West Howe Street and South Morton Street.
Stephen P. Dixon II, 26, of Bloomington, has been charged with murder, two counts of Level 5 felony unlawful carrying of a handgun, and Level 5 felony criminal recklessness. Kaila E. Simms, 30, the registered owner of the suspect vehicle, was also arrested and charged with Level 6 felony neglect of a dependent.
Fatal Confrontation
The incident took place at approximately 9:40 p.m. on Friday, September 26, when Bloomington officers responded to reports of a possible shooting, screaming, and a person down in the street. Upon arrival, officers located 29-year-old Shawn Sullivan, identified as a transient, suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his upper torso.
Officers immediately began life-saving efforts before the man was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 10:28 p.m.
Witness accounts detailed that Sullivan was walking with two females when a dark-colored passenger car rapidly approached. In response, Sullivan allegedly threw his bicycle, striking the vehicle. Witnesses reported that a man, later identified as the suspect, exited the car holding a gun and yelling before firing a single round, hitting Sullivan. The shooter then quickly re-entered the vehicle, which sped off northbound on Madison Street.
Investigators Trace Suspect Vehicle
The investigation quickly focused on identifying the dark-colored passenger car. Bloomington detectives canvassed the area for surveillance footage, which led them to a gas station located at the intersection of Kirkwood Avenue and Rogers Street.
Footage from the gas station showed a dark-colored Volkswagen Passat pulling into the station at 9:24 p.m., just minutes before the shooting. A white male and white female matching the description of the driver and passenger involved in the shooting purchased items and left the lot heading southbound at 9:34 p.m.
Crucially, detectives noted that the Volkswagen Passat matched the description of a vehicle used in an unrelated shooting incident that occurred four days earlier, on September 22, in the 1600 block of N Willis Drive. That incident involved the driver firing a round from the passenger window toward a residence before fleeing. Security cameras near the second incident captured the vehicle’s license plate number, which was registered to Kaila Simms, a 30-year-old woman from Bloomington.
Surveillance Leads to Arrest
Following tips from the public identifying Stephen Dixon II as the shooter, BPD members located and began surveilling the vehicle on Monday, October 6th.
The vehicle, occupied by Dixon and Simms, was observed dropping off two children at Arlington Elementary School before briefly stopping near the location of the September 26th shooting. Surveillance continued as the vehicle traveled south into Lawrence County, making several stops.
With assistance from the Indiana State Police and the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, officers surrounded the vehicle as it pulled into a gas station along Lincoln Avenue in Bedford, Indiana. Both Stephen Dixon II and Kaila Simms were taken into custody without incident. Dixon was found to be armed with a loaded 9mm Hi-Point handgun.
Following interviews, Dixon and Simms were transported to the Monroe County Jail and formally remanded on the following charges of murder, two counts of unlawful carrying of a handgun, and criminal recklessness.
Simms is facing a charge of neglect of a dependent.
Those facing criminal charges are considered innocent until proven guilty through a fair and due legal process. Accusations alone do not imply guilt; the judicial system will evaluate the presented evidence to reach a verdict.
