An altercation in a south Minneapolis gas station parking lot Tuesday afternoon ended in gunfire that badly wounded a man, authorities said.

The shooting happened about 12:50 p.m. outside a Speedway at 25th Street and Bloomington Avenue S., according to police. Spokesman John Elder said the man's wounds were "grave."

One or more suspects had fled the gas station before any arrests could be made, Elder said.

An SUV registered to a 27-year-old man from Brooklyn Center was spotted leaving the scene, according to emergency audio dispatch. The dispatch audio also said a male and a female fled in the SUV.

The gunfire came from a sawed-off shotgun, the audio said.

Elder said two groups of people were involved in a verbal confrontation before fighting broke out.

He said that while shootings anywhere in the city are treated with seriousness by police, there is "additional concern when they occur in an area where so many people are passersby."