LONG BEACH, Calif.—A 14-year-old boy was shot while riding a transit bus in Long Beach, authorities said on Sept. 2.

Officers were sent to the 5600 block of Long Beach Boulevard at about 6:25 p.m. on Sept. 1 and contacted the victim, who had a gunshot wound to the upper body, the Long Beach Police Department reported.

The boy was rushed to a hospital in stable condition. He had been riding the bus with friends when they were approached by three boys who started an argument, police said.

“The altercation became a fight, which escalated when one of the suspects shot the victim with a gun,” according to a police statement. “The suspects fled the scene before police arrived.”