An Ottawa-area man was accidentally shot during a robbery Friday night, police say, after a bullet his alleged accomplice fired into their victim's chest passed through the victim and struck the first robber in the leg.

Officers were called to the area of 394 Barton Street East around 11 p.m. Friday and say they found a 23-year-old man with a bullet hole in his leg.

Investigators discovered a 26-year-old man at a nearby home with a gunshot wound to his chest.

Both men are expected to survive.

Police say the shooting happened after the victim showed up at the home on Barton Street, where the Ottawa-area man and his accomplice were waiting. When the victim arrived, the pair began to rob and assault him.

One of the robbers pulled out a handgun and shot the victim, police say. The bullet went through him and struck the other robber in the leg.

Police are searching for witnesses and surveillance footage after the shooting that left two men in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Police say shooting was 'targeted'

Both of the assailants fled after the shooting. The Ottawa-area man was located nearby and arrested. He's charged with robbery and failing to comply with recognizance, according to police.

Investigators say it's not clear whether the men involved knew each other, but they believe the shooting was targeted.

Officers with the major crime unit and the newly established shooting task force are continuing to investigate.

They're working to identify the outstanding suspect, who's described as a black man between 25-30 years old, with an average build and standing about 5'10."

Police asking area residents and businesses to check their security cameras for any suspicious vehicles or people on Barton between Smith Avenue and Leeming Street and on Smith Avenue between Barton and Cannon Street East from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on the night of the shooting.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers or police at 905-546-4167.