9 injured in Midtown shooting on Cinco de Mayo

Nine people were injured after gunfire broke out in Midtown late Monday night, turning a busy Cinco de Mayo celebration into chaos.

According to Oklahoma City Police, a fight escalated into a shooting near Northwest 10th Street and Harvey Avenue around 11 p.m., just as crowds were gathered both for the holiday and to watch the Thunder playoff game.

Related: Midtown OKC bar shooting leaves 9 injured

Victims Caught Inside and Outside Restaurant

Seven of the victims were shot outside the restaurant, and two others inside were injured by broken glass from shattered windows. Police say at least two suspects were involved, one reportedly armed with a handgun and the other with an AR-15. As of Tuesday, no fatalities have been reported and no arrests have been made.

“It was really chaotic," one witness said. "There was a lot of people. It did take the officers a while to get the crime scene secured and calmed down.”

The restaurant staff acted quickly to protect customers.

“People were running into The Collective, and the staff was getting them and making sure they were staying as safe as possible in there,” Oklahoma City Police said.

The restaurant’s management said they are heartbroken over what happened.

“We love Oklahoma City here at The Collective. And our hearts go out to everyone who is affected by the situation. It's really, really upsetting and it just breaks our heart,” said Collective spokesperson Nathan Wiewel.

Employees Praised for Response

Wiewel also praised the restaurant’s employees for their actions.

“Who could plan for a situation like this? It was spur of the moment. Just the good folks that work here at The Collective saying like, how can we help these people?”

The restaurant hopes to reopen later this week and plans to raise money to support the victims of the shooting. Information about how to donate will be posted on The Collective’s social media pages.

“We are praying and we’re really rooting for the recovery of Oklahoma City and Midtown from the situation,” Wiewel said.

Police are still investigating and urge anyone with information to contact the Oklahoma City Police Department.