Corydon Central High School is mourning the loss of a student killed in the Harvest Homecoming shooting

CORYDON, Ind. (WAVE) – In Corydon, a community is mourning the loss of 18-year-old Bryce Gerlach, who was killed in a triple shooting at Harvest Homecoming in New Albany Saturday night.

“He died in a pretty heroic way, and that’s what you need to know about him, I think,” CCHS junior Zach Terry said of Gerlach.

Gerlach was an innocent bystander in what police described as a “senseless act of violence.” The night after, there was an overwhelming outpouring of support for his family in the community.

Those Gerlach called friends described him as someone who never met a stranger, evidenced by the support of a community mourning the loss of one of its own.

“Everyone knew Bryce,” classmate Maxx Jones said. “When you see that blue truck driving through Corydon, you think, ‘Oh, that’s Bryce.’ Everyone knows that.”

Now this blue truck, wrapped in black, sits on the side of the road. Gerlach will never sit behind the wheel again.

“All of these people were innocent bystanders,” New Albany Police Chief Todd Bailey said of the triple shooting that killed Gerlach and injured two others. “We initially believe that all of the people shot in this incident had nothing whatsoever to do with the dispute that led to it.”

It was a tragedy that shook the heart of a small Harrison County town.

“I think it just shows how many people really care about him and how much we all still care about each other so much that we can all come here and just gather and celebrate his life,” Terry said.

The CCHS senior’s parking lot was turned into a memorial, his teammates devastated by the loss. Gerlach was a kicker and defensive back for the CCHS Panthers and played his final game Friday night with a character that shone on and off the field.

“Friendships are wonderful and I’m really glad I got to have one with him,” said CCHS senior Gracie Wate.

Sunday was a chilly night, but the air was heavy with sadness as Gerlach’s family led hundreds of people on a candlelight walk in his honor, collectively expressing their love and support for a loss that affects so many.

CCHS will offer counseling to students when they return to class on Monday.

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