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A man has been shot in the chest and leg after an argument broke out near a town centre snack bar, police said.
The victim, in his 30s, is in hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries and detectives are searching for the gunman following the shooting in Redditch, Worcestershire, this morning.
A spokesman for West Mercia Police said: "It appears that an altercation of some sort occurred near to a snack bar on Nailsworth Road - not far from Matalan - and that during the course of the altercation a firearm was discharged.
"This resulted in a man in his mid-30s suffering gunshot wounds to his left arm and chest area.
"This man was quickly rushed to hospital but thankfully, although his injuries are serious, they do not appear to be life-threatening.
"Witnesses have suggested a second man left the scene immediately after the firearm was discharged and work is now ongoing to find this man."
The incident was reported to police shortly before 11.50am.
Detective Inspector Leighton Harding said: "The investigation into this incident is at an early stage but a significant number of officers are involved.
"Our priority at the moment is to locate the man that left the scene and once we have done this we will share that information with the public. In addition, finding the firearm discharged in this incident is also a priority.
"It goes without saying that this type of situation is very unusual in Redditch but I would like to reassure local people that it does appear to be an isolated incident and that we believe the two men involved were known to each other.
"A police cordon has been put in place around the scene on Nailsworth Road and we apologise for any inconvenience this is causing.
"However, this cordon is vital to allow us to do all the necessary investigative work.
"We believe there may have been a number of witnesses to this incident and I would ask anyone who has not yet spoken to police to come forward as soon as they can.
"Every bit of information is vital and please do not think we will not be interested in what you have to say."
Police urged anyone with information to contact them on 101 or 0300 333 3000.
PA