Police say more than 80 shots were fired during an early morning shooting in downtown Hamilton that injured three people.

Investigators say the shooting happened in the area of Bowen Street and Jackson Street East just before 1 a.m. on Saturday.

“Once we arrived at the scene, we discovered three individuals suffering from gunshot wounds. The level of injuries ranged between non-life threatening, and one of them had critical injuries. He has since undergone surgery and is now considered to be in stable condition,” Insp. Ben Thibodeau said in an update on Saturday afternoon.

Investigators say several handguns and assault rifles were used, and more than 80 casings of several different calibres have been recovered.

“In excess of 80 rounds, it’s a level of violence that is extreme,” said Thibodeau. “It’s extremely dangerous for public safety, for individuals in the surrounding area. So even though it was targeted, it’s obviously very dangerous for the people in the vicinity.”

There was no immediate suspect description, but police say “several people were involved” based on the number of shots fired.

Thibodeau said at least one of the victims was exiting a bar at the corner of John and Jackson streets when the shooting began, however, there is no evidence that anything occurred inside the bar. Police recovered a firearm from the victim.

Police said there were several people at the scene and dozens of witnesses at the time of the shooting.

“At this point, none of these people have come forward …they’re uncooperative,” said Thibodeau. “We are appealing to these specific individuals to come forward, whether it’s in person or by phone, or through Crime Stoppers if they feel more comfortable with this.”

Police noted that the area in which the shooting occurred has been the scene of previous violence, with at least two establishments tied to illegal operations.

Files from CHCH were used in this report