Cleveland Police Car 3

A pregnant woman was among two women shot at a Cleveland convenience store, police said.

(Northeast Ohio Media Group file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A 24-year-old woman who is nine months pregnant was shot in the face while shopping at a Cleveland convenience store.

A second woman, 28, was struck in the arm when gunfire erupted about 9 p.m. Thursday at Garden Valley on the 3100 block of East 79th Street.

According to police:

The victims were making a purchase when gunfire echoed outside. Bullets pierced the convenience store and struck the women.

A 28-year-old man told officers he was in the convenience store parking lot, talking to a stranger, when someone in a passing gray Ford Focus shot at them.

The 28-year-old man, a concealed carry permit holder, drew a .38-caliber handgun and returned fire. The stranger also returned fire. Both men fled after the gunfight.

The CCW permit holder returned to the scene when police arrived and handed over his weapon. Officers arrested the man, but no charges have been filed. Sgt. Ali Pillow said investigators are working to determine the facts of the shooting.

The victims were driven to MetroHealth Medical Center. Their conditions were not available Friday afternoon.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Cleveland Division of Police Fourth District Detective Bureau at 216-623-5418.