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Ball State officials respond to videos of an off campus gathering

MUNCIE, Ind. (NewsLink) -- An investigation is underway after videos circulating on social media showed people at a large gathering near Ball State's campus.

University officials issued a statement Monday afternoon saying they're looking into the situation.

According to location stamps on many of the videos, the gathering happened at Be Here Now, a popular music venue in Ball State's "Village."

The videos were posted on Snapchat and Instagram and appeared to show several people in close contact and not wearing masks.

Be Here Now's Facebook page says Afroman was scheduled to perform Saturday night, which is when all of the time stamps in the videos NewsLink saw indicate the videos were taken.

It's unclear exactly how many people were in the crowd, but Ball State officials responded Monday afternoon saying, "We are aware of a video circulating on social media that shows a large gathering this weekend at a venue near campus. While the number of Ball State students, if any, is not clear, President Mearns has directed the Office of Student Conduct to investigate. We have also contacted officials with the Delaware County Health Department regarding the gathering."

These developments came hours after Mearns sent an email, complimenting students for their efforts to help slow the spread of the virus.

NewsLink Indiana reached out to the Delaware County Health Department and Be Here Now, but haven't received a response.

For any comments or concerns, contact the author at twbrummett@bsu.edu