Bloomington business reacts to downtown murder

Posted on February 1, 2021
Officer John Fermon says the Bloomington Police Department is stepping up security in the downtown area to help the public feel safe. (Photo courtesy: Heart of Illinois ABC)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington community is still reeling after an early Saturday morning bar fight turned deadly.

The shooting happened outside Daddios, a bar in the downtown Bloomington area. The fight left 22-year-old Mariah Petracca dead and a second woman critically hurt.

“That, that just doesn’t happen in Bloomington,” local restaurant owner John Koch said.

Koch co-owns Lucca Grill, a short distance away from the murder scene.

“It’s a shame, because it’s going to hurt some people, some businesses that are down here,” Koch said. “People are always going to have some reservations.”

Police say they arrested a suspect shortly after arriving on scene. 41-year-old Michael Bakana is accused of murder and aggravated discharge of a firearm.

Officer John Fermon says the Bloomington Police Department is stepping up security in the downtown area to help the public feel safe.

“We’re going to try to give some extra patrol, and some more presence to make people feel more comfortable,” Fermon said. “Especially if they are iffy about going downtown.”

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

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