Nine people were wounded along a city block in southern Washington, D.C., Tuesday night after shooters opened fire on a crowd, police said.

Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier said the shooting prompted a lengthy police chase that ended in the arrest of three people. Four officers were treated for minor injuries from an accident during the chase.

The victims who were shot near the 5000 block of South Capitol Street included six males and three females, and some were in very serious condition, Lanier said.

A tenth person was shot on nearby Galveston Street, but it wasn't clear whether the two shootings were related.

Lanier decline to give more details, saying it was too early in the investigation.

However, she told reporters that, "We've made a lot of progress to stop gang retaliation and violence and, in the end, if this ends up being some kind of gang retaliation then shame on all of us."