CLEVELAND ON EDGE AFTER CHILD FATALLY SHOT AND 5 OTHER TEENS HURT

Shooting on Cleveland's east side on Nov. 24, 2017.

Cleveland police were searching Saturday for suspects after six children were shot, including a 12-year-old struck fatally, outside of a liquor store.

An preliminary investigation into the Friday night shooting indicated that the suspects approached the store on foot and opened fire just after 7 p.m. ET before fleeing the scene, said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams.

The 12-year-old victim, who was not immediately named, was the son of the liquor store's owner. The 40-year-old father ran outside to investigate the noise when he discovered his son had been shot in the torso and was unresponsive, police said.

The other children hit by the gunfire were ages 14 to 16. Williams said the suspects are believed to be juveniles as well.

"We don't know exactly what spurred this or what happened, but you know, definitely our hearts go out to the family of the victims here," Williams said. "All we have are juveniles on foot. They fired shots and they took off running."

One of the victims was shot in the head and was being treated at University Hospital, police said. The others suffered gunshot wounds to the groin, leg or torso.

No arrests have been made in connection with the shooting. NBC affiliate WKYC said the suspects were wearing either black- or dark-colored hoodies.

Local activists planned to hold a vigil and a rally for peace Saturday night in the intersection where the shooting occurred.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson encouraged anyone with information about to call Crime Stoppers.

"We know that as things happen out on the street there's a lot of conversation," he said. "We'd like to have as much information as we can get in order to find who did this."

More than 135 people were killed in Ohio's second-largest city in 2016, making it Cleveland's deadliest year in a decade. The city has topped 100 homicides so far in 2017.