Multiple injuries in shooting in downtown Cincinnati

At least nine people were injured in a shooting in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

Officers were already on the scene to disperse a "large disorderly crowd" when gunfire broke out at about 1:45 a.m. near the 1300 block of Main Street in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, according to a press release from the Cincinnati Police Department.

The gunfire occurred following a physical altercation between two groups in the crowd, and at least two individuals exchanged gunfire near, police said.

The nine victims were transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and were treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said.

"Today's events are completely and totally unacceptable," Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval said in a statement. "The use of guns to solve disputes cannot become a normal part of our culture."

Pureval commended the officers on the scene for their quick response, whose actions "likely saved many more from injury and prevented the loss of life," the mayor said.

The investigation is ongoing, police said.

ABC News' Matt Foster contributed to this report.