Three people were shot and a child was injured in the commotion when a gunman opened fire near a barbecue in East Harlem on Thursday night. 

Witnesses said the shooting happened just before 9 p.m. on East 122nd Street, between Third and Lexington avenues.

3 people shot in East Harlem

People in the area reported hearing six to seven gunshots. It sent people ducking and running for cover, as it was not clear where the bullets were coming from or who was being targeted. 

Police said two men, ages 33 and 36, were both shot in the leg, and a 25-year-old woman was shot in the ankle.  

Witnesses said the woman was just walking by with her husband and young child, a 3-year-old-boy, at the time. The boy fell and was also injured, police said. 

After the shooting, witnesses said members of the FDNY applied a tourniquet to the woman's leg and a child was checked for injuries.

"A little girl, she was crying, and the captain of the fire department, he was checking her hair just in case she was crying from a bullet that touched her or whatever. But it's not. She was OK, thank God," witness Andre Hildalgo said.

The three shooting victims and injured child were taken to the hospital. 

Police search for suspected gunman

Police were combing through surveillance video to try and track down a suspect after witnesses said they saw at least one man running toward Second Avenue shortly after the shooting. 

Police said the suspect was wearing all black clothes.

No arrests have been made at this time, and it's unclear what led up to the shooting. 

• East Harlem