A shooting Saturday morning inside Blackmon’s Plaza left a security guard wounded and a crowd of people fleeing a nightclub seeking safer grounds.

And, while police were trying to determine whether what happened as a result of the gunfire they heard coming from inside Blackmon’s Plaza, 127 Collinsville Ave., two additional fights broke out outside two other nearby clubs.

At least 40 police officers responded to calls requesting help over the county 911 line and Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network. Police said they received four other calls reporting shots fired, but that was never established.

Detective Michael Floore said police received information reporting a large fight inside the club about 4:30 a.m. When the shots were fired inside the club, people started running out onto the streets, police said.

Floore confirmed that an unidentified security guard was shot one time. He was at St. Louis University Hospital getting treatment, Floore said.

“”A rapper was in town and was at the club. A fight broke out inside. There were two security guards inside. At this time, it appears that one guard was using his weapon on a patron that he was fighting with. And the gun went off striking the other security guard,”” Floore said.

Floore said as police were approaching the door to Blackmon’s Plaza, shots rang out. He said somebody had pushed the victim out of the back door and had already taken him to the hospital. An East St. Louis patrolman went to St. Louis to meet with the victim, Floore said.

Police from Fairmont City, Illinois State Police and Caseyville came to East St. Louis’ assistance after East St. Louis called for back-up. East St. Louis had three patrolman on the streets at the time of the melee.

Some of the officers were upset because they said there were between 20,000 to 25,000 people in the city Friday night and only three police officers working because of layoffs because of budgetary issues. The officers said there is such a shortage that a detective is being required to work each weekend to assist patrols.

“”It took us an hour and a half to get everything under control. While we were working on the fight at Blackmon’s Plaza, fights broke out on the outside of Club Flava and The Mansion,”” Floore said.

No patrons or police officers who responded were injured.

Mayor Alvin L. Parks said there will be no discussion of closing the clubs early just because of the incident at Blackmon’s.

He said he’s heard different stories about what happened at Blackmon’s. But the club will temporarily lose its liquor license, pending the outcome of an investigation, Parks said.

“”The situation warrants further investigation,”” Parks said. “”We will have a liquor board meeting, probably Wednesday. We have to assess the situation a little more. We will deal with it accordingly.””