A 23-year-old man died early Saturday after a shooting on the city's north side.

Elijah Williams was pronounced dead at Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo where he was taken by Lifecare Ambulance after the shooting at 26 W. Northside Drive just west of North Washington Avenue.

Battle Creek police said they were called to the scene at 3:49 a.m. and found Williams outside the house and still able to speak to officers.

"He just said 'Help me, I have been shot.'" Detective Sgt. Todd Elliott, supervisor of the detective bureau said. "We didn't get anything else from him."

Elliott said Williams, who has recently lived in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, died at the hospital from a single gunshot wound to the upper chest.

Police believe Williams was shot in a crossfire between two other people.

Elliott said Saturday that several people were at the house and there was an argument.

"There was some type of argument or fight that started inside the house," Elliott said. "Mr. Williams was not directly involved according to all the people we talked to. He was inside and he was outside and he wasn't directly involved in the argument or fight at all."

Elliott said detectives believe both of the shooters were at the gathering and that one of them was just leaving when the shots were fired.

"When the shots were fired outside we have a pretty good idea of where he (Williams) was but there was not any indication that he was directly involved in it.

"There were probably two people shooting but we are not sure if they were shooting at the same person or at each other," Elliott said. "The information is there was shooting but we can't pinpoint who was doing the shooting exactly."

Detectives spent the morning talking with about 10 people including one person of interest but Elliott said two more people are being sought for questioning. He also described them as being persons of interest.

No one has been arrested.

Patrol officers were within a couple of blocks when the shooting occurred and arrived quickly and located several people who were interviewed.

Crime laboratory personnel were at the scene until late morning and said as many as 20 shell casings were located.

"We heard that about three volleys of shots were heard," Elliott said.

Officers used a drone to photograph the scene and were collecting evidence both inside and outside the house.

The homicide is the fourth for 2019.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Battle Creek Police Department at 269-781-0911 or Silent Observer at 269-964-3888.

Contact Trace Christenson at 269-966-0685 or tchrist@battlecreekenquirer.com Follow him on Twitter: @TSChristenson