12 wounded in shooting at Miami party

updated 3:38 p.m. ET July 6, 2009

MIAMI - As many as three gunman stormed a birthday party on the edge of downtown Miami and opened fire early Monday, shooting 12 people and causing a chaotic scramble as people tried to flee, authorities said.

Three of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition, police spokesman Detective William Moreno said. Another person fleeing the home was struck by a vehicle and was in stable condition. Police are searching for the suspects.

The men were wearing all black and opened fire with automatic weapons around 12:45 a.m. Shell casings from an AK-47 and two pistols were found, police said.

It was unclear if the shooting happened in the home or outside what authorities described as a block party.

Police roped off about four blocks with yellow tape in the area of the shooting, located in Miami's Overtown neighborhood, a run down area in the shadows of downtown's glistening skyscrapers. Crime scene trucks were parked along the street as detectives searched for a motive. Shell casing were sprayed across the road and inside the home, some possibly from Fourth of July celebrations, authorities said.

"There's a lot of casings," Miami Police Chief John Timoney said.

Miami Fire-Rescue spokesman Ignatius Carroll said initially there were not enough ambulances to take the victims to the hospital, he said.

More from msnbc.com Easing job losses point to wobbly recovery   Brokaw:  The night the wall came down Cars are approaching ‘auto’ pilot mode Facebook’s fantasy games cost more than time Not supposed to worry about troops at home On Twitter: Breaking news updates | Weird and wild

MORE FROM CRIME & COURTS

Crime & courts Section Front

Families see justice in sniper’s execution   Alleged shooter tied to mosque of 9/11 hijackers Fort Hood rampage brings prayers, questions Suspect identified in Seattle police killing Alleged Fort Hood shooter's lonely life Killings unsolved as sniper execution nears High court to look at life in prison for juveniles Prosecutors seek journalism students’ grades Onlookers flock to site of Cleveland killings Clear warning signs, Hasan's colleagues say Crime & courts Section Front   Add Crime & courts headlines to your news reader: