CINCINNATI — At least nine people were wounded — none critically — in a shooting outside a Cincinnati bar early Sunday, police said.

The shooting took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. outside Mr. Pitiful’s bar in the Ohio city’s Over-the-Rhine district, a popular nightlife area. Most of the victims suffered wounds to their lower halves, Lt. Col. Mike John of the Cincinnati police told reporters.

John said during a Sunday news conference that eight men and one woman ranging in age from 23 to 47 were wounded. All nine people treated at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center had been released, hospital spokesperson Heather Chura told The (Cincinnati) Enquirer.

This morning I spoke with a mom who says her son was one of the nine shot in OTR. She says he was shot in the knees and they're not sure if he'll walk again. She recalls how she found out about the shooting below. We expect an update from police at noon. pic.twitter.com/I32p3ioFHD

— Chelsea Sick (@chelseasicknews) August 7, 2022

A police officer fired one round at a suspect who fled the scene, but it was unclear if that person was hit, something John called “a little unusual.” More shots were fired after that person fled, so police believe at least two people were shooting, he said.

#DEVELOPING in Cincinnati: Cleanup underway in OTR. Police confirm at least 9 people injured in a shooting. They say none of the injuries are critical. We know police shot at a suspected shooter, but it’s not clear if that person was hit. No arrests have been made yet. @10TV pic.twitter.com/g7xq9Meg5b

— Kiona Dyches 10TV (@kiona_dyches) August 7, 2022

“What I can tell you is that the individual that he fired at was actively shooting a firearm at that time,” John said. The suspect fled the scene. He said he believed there was “no question” that the officer’s immediate response saved lives.

Police said a fight broke out between two groups, and officers saw at least two people involved brandish firearms and shoot at each other, The Enquirer reported.

John said police used what he called two “bang balls” — a “percussion instrument” with a “very loud noise” — to disperse a crowd they said had gathered around officers trying to provide aid to the wounded.

"It was terrifying. We just turned and ran."Imagine going out for a friend's birthday, but the celebration gets cut short because you’re running for your life as bullets fly.That scary story is shared by dozens who were at OTR last night. Hear from witnesses tonight on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/as9DWRukps

— Danielle Dindak (@danielledindak) August 7, 2022

Another shooting in the neighboring Central Business District left two wounded, but police said it wasn’t related.

Mayor Aftab Pureval called the gunfire “completely and totally unacceptable.”

“The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture,” Pureval said, lauding officers for a quick response that “likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life.”

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