The annual Hub tradition of fighting over parking spots after a snowstorm took a nearly lethal turn yesterday when a dispute in Dorchester led to a shooting.

Police Commissioner William B. Evans said a 34-year-old Dorchester man was shot in the stomach during a “silly” argument over a parking spot.

“There’s way too many guns,” Evans said near the scene of the shooting, which took place about 2:30 p.m. on Nightingale Street. “When people are shooting over something like a parking spot, we have a problem.”

The 27-year-old shooter, Evans said, fled the scene in a black BMW but drove only a short distance up the street before ditching the car.

A witness told police they thought the suspect ran into a nearby house, prompting officials to call in the SWAT team to search the building, but they turned up nothing.

Evans said investigators know who the suspect is and have applied for an arrest warrant. Evans would not discuss the suspect’s criminal history, but said he is known to police.

“The good thing is we know who the suspect is and hopefully we can track him down real quick,” Evans said.

Though the shooting stemmed from an argument over parking, police do not know which man shoveled out the spot.

“Obviously the individual who did the shooting wasn’t happy that he was in his spot,” Evans said.

The victim was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where Evans said he is expected to survive his injuries.