An unidentified victim was shot and critically injured after being involved in an argument inside a nightclub in Hollywood early Monday morning.

The argument erupted shortly before 1 a.m. in the My Studio nightclub located at 6623 Hollywood Blvd.

The incident is believed to be gang related, said Lt. Marc Reina, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division.

“There was some type of argument. An individual pulled out a small caliber handgun and fired three shots, striking the victim one time,” Reina said. “There is very little to go on.”

No additional injuries were reported. The nightclub was crowded at the time of the shooting, with patrons attending a hip-hop event. However, few witnesses provided information to police, according to Reina. The suspect was only described as being an African American man.

The victim, who was shot once in the upper body, was taken by paramedics to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and underwent surgery on Monday. He is expected to survive, but will remain hospitalized for several days, according to Reina.

The lieutenant said no previous violence had been reported at My Studio, and it is not known for problems.

“Once in a while, the wrong two people cross paths and something like this happens,” he said. “Things have actually been pretty quiet for the past couple of months.”

Anyone with information is asked to call investigators with the LAPD’s Hollywood Division at (213)485-4302. During weekends and off-hours, call the LAPD’s hotline at (877)LAPD247.