An 18-year-old man has been taken to hospital after an afternoon shooting in the downtown area of Hamilton on Saturday.

Police were called to the area of Main Street between East Avenue and Emerald Street around 1:53 p.m. They found a man with a single gunshot wound to his lower body, according to Staff Sgt. Jack Langhorn.

The victim was taken to Hamilton General Hospital. He was listed as in stable condition as of Saturday night, according to police.

"The male has provided police with very limited information and detectives hope to interview the male after receiving medical treatment," police said in an update Saturday night.

Police remained on scene Saturday afternoon to piece together what happened. There were conflicting reports about whether the shooting occurred outside or inside an apartment, Langhorn said.

Police said they believe there were two suspects, but they do not have detailed descriptions of them.

The suspects fled in a dark-coloured, SUV-type of vehicle, police said, but they do not have information of the make or model of the vehicle.

Two men who were found near the scene were also taken into custody for the investigation.

There is no indication of threat to the public, police said. They are encouraging anyone with information to contact Det. Jon Murphy at 905-546-3821. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers by phone at 1-800-222-8477 or online.