Deputies responded to the Dolphin Food Market near Northwest 46th Street and 24th Avenue at about 3 a.m. after reports of shots fired. Investigators said two men were involved in some kind of dispute, and one of them drew a gun and shot the other in the midsection.

A store clerk told reporters that the confrontation began as a physical fight between two groups outside the market and then spilled into the busy store before shots rang out.

"You fight with somebody, I slap you, you slap me, that's it," said Mike Alquran, who was working at the store. "You have no reason to pull a gun or start shooting. There was too many people in the front. You have no reason to start shooting the people."

When deputies arrived, they found the wounded man and took him to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, authorities said.

The gunman fled and remains at large. Investigators have not released a description of the suspect or said in which direction he may have gone.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact Miami-Dade CrimeStoppers anonymously at 305-471-8477 (TIPS).

The shooting occurred in a densely populated section of Brownsville, where corner markets and food stores often serve as early-morning gathering spots for workers and residents. Community advocates have long argued that easy access to firearms turns ordinary disputes into life-threatening encounters, and that violence prevention programs and stronger gun-safety measures are needed to keep neighborhoods safe.

No further details about the dispute or the people involved were immediately available.