BLOOMINGTON — A 60-year-old homeless man now has no front teeth after he was punched steps away from Indiana University's Sample Gates over the weekend. The punch was caught on camera and shared on social media.
assault last night on kirkwood 9/26
byu/beanstoads inbloomington
Bloomington Police say 60-year-old Bobby Ballard was beaten around 11:30 p.m. at Kirkwood Avenue and Dunn Street on Friday night. They say a person grabbed Ballard's phone when he was sitting near People's Park, and Ballard was hit when he went to confront them about the theft.
BPD arrested two suspects for the aggravated assault on Monday: 25-year-old Avery Williams and 21-year-old Khalil Morris. Indiana University tells WRTV neither man was enrolled at the school.
Another homeless man, 29-year-old Shawn Sullivan, was shot and killed at the intersection of Morton and Howe Streets the same night. Police are still searching for suspects in that case.
Ballard is part of a homeless community that regularly gathers in People's Park. WRTV spoke with members of the community after police arrested the suspects, but only one person would talk on the record because they were afraid someone else would assault them.
"I've always been afraid of that. I always watch my back," said the person, who wished to remain anonymous. "We don't want to hurt anybody else, and we don't want to get hurt ourselves."
The person said he knew Ballard before the incident and has since talked with him after the assault.
"It hurt to see him with his teeth missing because he's a good person, and he did not deserve that," he said.
A fundraiser for Ballard's dental care has raised more than $8,000 in the three days after the assault.
