Several cars were also struck and the building sustained damage, police Chief Chuck Hasty said.

City Manager Joseph Scherer said damage to the building was minimal. A bullet penetrated the wall and struck an air duct.

Scherer said he considers the matter a random occurrence that could have happened at any city facility. There was no issue with the person sponsoring the Halloween party. Background checks were done, the city manager said, and came back clean.

The call came in around 1:30 a.m. from officers working off-duty at the venue, Hasty said in a statement. The off-duty officers needed assistance with people fighting.

As additional units were on the way, another call came in about shots being fired. A large crowd was running around the parking lot and officers found at least one car was struck. They discovered several others were struck as the investigation progressed.

Hasty said Halifax Regional Medical Center called to report someone with a gunshot wound had been admitted and was then transported to another medical facility for treatment.

Hasty said this afternoon it was not clear what prompted the argument and currently there are no physical descriptions of possible suspects.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Investigator Chris Babb at 252-533-2810 or Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.