KITCHENER -- Waterloo regional police say a 23-year-old man has been taken to hospital following reported shootings in both Kitchener and Waterloo.
Officials say a shooting involving two vehicles happened around 3:50 p.m. in the southbound lane of Hwy. 85 between Lancaster and Guelph Streets.
Shots were reportedly fired at the victim's 2016, grey, four door Honda Civic by a passenger of the suspect vehicle before both of them sped down the highway.
Police say the two vehicles then went to Avalon Place in Kitchener where multiple shots were fired.
This was where a 23-year-old man was found in a wooded area nearby with gunshot wounds and was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The suspect vehicle is described as a four-door, grey Mercedes Benz AMGE-63 with at least two people inside, no front plate, a stolen Ontario licence plate, and was seen earlier with a Quebec licence plate.
The vehicle was last seen near Barber Crescent and Sterling Avenue South heading towards Homer Watson Boulevard.
"They were going so fast I'm surprised they didn't crash into somebody," said area resident Katheran McGregor. "For that to end up down here, then it can pretty much happen anywhere, but you don't think it's going to happen in your neighbourhood."
Police later released an image of the suspect vehicle and are asking anyone who sees it to call 911 immediately.
MORE: Police Chief Bryan Larkin's message about gun violence in Waterloo Region
The emergency response teams and police's remotely piloted vehicle have been deployed to assist with the investigation. There is expected to be a large police presence in the area of Avalon Place.
"This was the most police presence and vehicles Iv'e ever seen in a small area," said area resident Myles Stephens.
Residents in the areas of Avalon and Hwy. 85 near Bridgeport Road were both asked to stay inside their homes on Saturday while police were responding to the shootings.
"I heard the bang as the car hit the curb and the crash as he hit the enclosure," said Myrom Ginterich, who lives on Avalon Place. "Then I heard maybe another three, four gunshots.
"It's unsettling because this is normally a very quiet street."
This marks the 12th shooting Waterloo regional police have investigated this year.
"I've just never seen anything like this happen in this neighbourhood," a resident near Avalon Place said. "I've been here for over 10 years now, I feel comfortable and safe here. It's a little disconcerning, but we're in a big city and times are changing."
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact Waterloo regional police.
"Increasingly we're seeing some of that crime work its way down the highway of Toronto and the GTA," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
The mayor is also calling on the provincial and federal governments to ensure Waterloo regional police have the resources needed to tackle crime, guns, and gang violence.
Near 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, police tweeted that they were also investigating a sudden death in Cambridge, and say callers should expect delays with non-urgent matters.
With reporting from CTV Kitchener's Carmen Wong
