Two people died and eight were injured in a downtown Minneapolis shooting that started with an argument as crowds were leaving the bars at closing time.

The two fatalities and one person who was critically injured were among five men shot. The other five victims, all with non-life-threatening injuries, were women, Minneapolis Police tweeted.

Police spokesperson John Elder said the gunfire stemmed from two men in a crowd who got into an argument, pulled out guns and started shooting, KMSP-TV reported.

Cops were nearby when they heard the sound of gunshots just before 2 a.m., TwinCities.com reported. They ran to the scene and found a large crowd with many people injured.