HARTFORD, Conn. _ Police say five people were shot, one fatally, in a Hartford nightclub early Sunday morning.
A 28-year-old man was killed, officers said, and two other victims _ one man and one woman _ were still in surgery as of 7:30 a.m. The two other victims are in stable condition, police said.
Hartford police spokesperson Lt. Paul Cicero said officers were already outside Majestic Lounge, at 451 Franklin Ave., when shots were fired inside the club. The officers called in the shooting at 1:27 a.m., Cicero said.
Officers had been establishing a "command presence" at the nightclub, according to Cicero, because of previous shootings and assaults at the club.
Cicero said that, when the shots rang out, the officers outside the club ran inside while crowds of people ran outside, in the opposite direction.
Because they were already on the scene, the officers were able to provide medical care to some of the victims until paramedics arrived, Cicero said.
"It was actually very beneficial for them being there so quick," he said.
All of the victims were taken to Hartford Hospital, Cicero said.
However, a passenger vehicle transporting one of the victims crashed on the way to the hospital, Cicero said, when the driver "lost control." The driver, who had not been shot, was taken to the hospital but later discharged.
Cicero said police do not have anyone in custody for the shooting.
"It's still very early," he said.
In a Sunday morning statement, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the shooting stemmed from a dispute at the night club and involved "illegal hand guns."
"We are now assessing what further steps we can take to prevent another incident at this specific location," Bronin said in the statement.
Although the investigation is ongoing, Franklin Avenue was reopened Sunday morning.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Hartford police tip line at 860-722-TIPS.
