The holiday got off to a violent start after a shooting in Riverside Wednesday morning.

Officers said a 26-year-old man was taken into surgery and that they planned to interview an 18-year-old they plan to arrest.

The shooting happened around 6:30 a.m., but the heat had a lot of people up and heard or saw a lot of what happened.

Police said two young men who knew each other argued and that disagreement ended with the shooting.

Jeff Collier, who lives nearby, said, “Next thing I know I heard gunshots. I saw the white guy running down the street with a gun.”

According to officers, a witness actually followed him, saw him jump a fence and run through a church parking lot across Harshman Road.

Officers said they surrounded the man moments later in another church parking lot. Police and medics discovered a victim on the ground and shot in the leg.

Collier said he dove back inside his house after hearing the gunfire.

“It was a little scary on the Fourth of July. I thought it was firecrackers, but nope,” he said.

Soon the apartment buildings were filled with officers who were looking for shell casings, the gun and any other evidence they could fine.

Officers said they are also taking statements from a lot of people who heard things or maybe knew the young men.

According to police, the victim was visiting the suspect who lived in the apartment complex and knew each other pretty well.

Sgt. Jeff Trego said, “I think they’re just mutual friends and things escalated over a debt.”

The shooting remains under investigation.