ORLANDO, Fla. — A 16-year-old boy was among the four people shot early Monday morning in what started as a Halloween bash in downtown Orlando, according to authorities. 

Four people have suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a shooting at the 50 block of North Orange Avenue in downtown Orlando on Halloween night, according to Lt. Reinaldo "Rey" Rivero of the Orlando Police Department in a press release.

“An unknown black male suspect discharged a firearm striking four individuals,” stated Rivero.

However, police have not released a more detailed description of the suspect.

The four people shot were taken to local hospitals as the investigation is ongoing, stated Rivero.

That section of downtown Orlando is a popular entertainment district, especially on Halloween.

Later on Monday morning during a press conference, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolón said the 16-year-old boy ran into an individual he had been feuding with on social media. Shots were fired and the 16-year-old and three innocent bystanders were hit, Rolón said.

None of the people injured in the shooting were seriously hurt, he said. 

The identities of the individuals involved were not immediately released.

Downtown resident Eric Mason said he watched the aftermath of the shooting unfold from his balcony.

"I’ll be honest, what went through my head when I heard the shots is, 'Here we go again,'" he said, adding that it was not an uncommon sound to hear downtown. "There’s often gunshots. There’s always screams of individuals as they get assaulted. There’s always the very loud noise."

Mason said he wants the city and police to do more to preemptively crack down on noise ordinance violations and violence in the downtown area.

Rolón said his department has put in place additional safety measures in the months since a number of deadly shootings took place downtown, including increasing the number of patrol officers in the area. The efforts seem to be working and Rolón said officers have seen a turnaround downtown.

Halloween goers had been hosting a party that lasted into the morning as debris, trash and signs of the shooting were scattered across Orange Avenue. 

Witness Chris Fidler told Spectrum News 13 that police came out in droves once the shots sounded.

He said he saw three people shot and describes one of the shootings. 

“We were standing out front, it’s a normal night just a big event people out there having fun," Fidler said. "The girl that got shot in the worst way. She was out here having fun with what appeared to be her friends. And she was shot. Hit the ground instantly."

He said police and paramedics were quick to respond to the scene and treat the victims.

Another witness described the reaction of the Halloween crowd once the shooting happened.

“We heard a couple of bangs and then like two seconds later, everybody was darting in different directions," said Karl Sturge.

OPD officials said an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

The city of Orlando also released the following statement Monday afternoon:

The safety of residents and businesses in the downtown area and throughout Orlando is our top priority. The violence that took place this past weekend is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

We are reviewing these incidents and evaluating further options to continue our efforts to prevent this type of criminal activity within downtown. We believe one of the contributing factors is the atmosphere being created on the streets with individuals coming downtown, not to patronize businesses, but rather to gather outside on the streets.  

This is a complex challenge that will take a multitude of measures to enhance downtown safety and we remain committed to working in partnership with our businesses and residents to create a safer downtown for all to enjoy.