Police were sent scrambling around Desert Hot Springs on Wednesday following a pair of unrelated reports of gunfire.

No one was injured in either of the incidents, and by Wednesday evening, investigators had arrested a suspect in one of the shootings, police Chief Patrick Williams said.

The suspect, a male adult, is accused of firing shots around 3:30 p.m. in the area of West Drive and Pierson Boulevard.

He was with a group of high school students gathered in the area.

“We're not sure why the guy fired the gun, but we know (a) fight (preceded) the shooting,” Williams said.

The chief did not know the name of the suspect, and investigators are trying to determine what led to the fight.

Robbery attempt

The suspect was arrested at Ironwood Drive and Via Real following a foot pursuit.

He was taken into custody just down the street from where a man reportedly opened fire around 7:45 a.m. following a robbery attempt.

Police said the suspect in that situation tried to steal a woman's purse at the intersection of Ironwood and Caliente drives.

The would-be thief opened fire on another man who tried to help the victim, police said.

Investigators identified a person in that incident but did not release his name, only saying he is 18 to 20 years old.

“We're continuing to look for the suspect, and we're interviewing witnesses as well,” police Cmdr. Ed Smith said Wednesday afternoon.

Fawn Myers saw the men arguing from her backyard and she said they exchanged profanities before shots were fired.

“(The gun) was directly pointed to (the victim), but the gun was kicking back like he couldn't hold it steady,” Myers said.

Neighbors reported about five shots were fired, but none hit the intended target, Smith said.

As Robbie Froehle, who lives nearby, swept her garage, she heard gunshots, and she said she saw a man leaving the scene.

“He started walking really quickly, like in a hustle,” she said. “He disappeared quickly because the police were here pretty fast.”

School locked down

Police looked for the gunman in an area bounded by Ironwood Drive, Caliente Drive, Hacienda Avenue and El Cajon Drive.

K-9 units could be seen in the area, and a California Highway Patrol airplane circled overhead.

Police checked homes in the area, but the search was called off at 10 a.m., Smith said.

Two Bunch Palms Elementary School, which is about a half mile from where the shots were fired, was locked down for an hour Wednesday morning as a precaution, said Joan Boiko, spokeswoman for the Palm Springs Unified School District.

She also said parents were informed there was no police activity at the school itself.