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There was a shooting early afternoon Monday close to the intersection of Rome Avenue and Stack Street in the North End, authorities say. Police say the front door of the Amazing Grace Food Pantry was hit by gunfire. The glass panel appeared to be repaired by Tuesday morning.

There was a shooting early afternoon Monday close to the intersection of Rome Avenue and Stack Street in the North End. Police say the front door of the Amazing Grace Food Pantry was hit by gunfire. Here, children at Macdonough Elementary School start camp for the day.

MIDDLETOWN — The scene of a shooting involving the occupants of two vehicles was quiet Tuesday morning with few people outdoors, aside from nearby business workers and children on the back lawn of Macdonough Elementary School a block away.

Police were called to the area of Stack Street and Rome Avenue around 1:30 p.m. Monday for a reported shootout. Concerned citizens reported that occupants in two vehicles were shooting at each other.

By the time police arrived, they said the cars had already left the area and no one was injured in the shooting. The Amazing Grace Food Pantry on Stack Street was struck by one of the bullets, police said.

According to St. Vincent DePaul Middletown Executive Director MaryEllen Shuckerow, the vehicles were traveling on Rome Street, “shooting at each other, then turning onto Stack Street and continuing to shoot at each other from their moving cars.”

“Luckily, and by the grace of God, the bullet did not hit anyone,” Shuckerow said. “Our staff and volunteers and clients are shaken up, but we are managing and will be open as scheduled.”

“A stray bullet hit our front door glass, hit the reception wall, went through to shopping room, hit another wall and the bullet fell to the floor,” Shuckerow said.

The pantry was fully open with staff volunteers in the reception area, shopping room and warehouse, she added.

A volunteer in the front of the shop called authorities, herded everyone out of the reception area and staff quickly locked down the facility, Shuckerow explained.

The executive director said she’ll monitor staff and volunteers to make sure they feel safe in the buildings. “It can happen anywhere and anytime.”

“We have a new phone system linking the buildings, so if a 911 call goes out, we are alerted through our system,” she added. Police arrived two minutes later, and Shuckerow was there in five minutes. One volunteer was eating her lunch in her car and saw the entire shootout, she said.

Shuckerow had conducted active shooter drills at the pantry and soup kitchen seven weeks ago.

Police Chief Erik Costa said the department does not have video footage of the incident.

Witnesses remained on edge Tuesday morning and declined to be identified due to safety concerns. They said they heard the bullets popping and saw a hole in the front door of the pantry.

The owner of a breakfast stand around the corner said he had closed for the day when the shooting occurred.

Police described the shooting as an isolated incident and said there was no immediate threat to the public.

Dic Wheeler, executive artistic director of the nearby Oddfellows Playhouse Circus, said everyone was inside Monday because of the rain.

Regular camp activities resumed Tuesday, according to site director Beth Shapiro.

“The folks on site did not even realize that it was happening until it appeared in the news,” Wheeler said.

An email was sent to families Tuesday morning, including the news release from the police department, Wheeler said. He said police plan to increase their presence in the neighborhood as a precaution.

Anyone with information about the shooting can contact Detective Dane Semper at 860-638-4145.

Cassandra Day is an award-winning multimedia journalist and resident of the North End of Middletown who has been reporting nearly every facet of the city for over two decades.