An Indiana University of Pennsylvania student was shot in the stomach outside an off-campus Indiana bar this morning and was taken into surgery several hours ago.

Justin D. McCoy, 21, of Springfield, Va., is in fair condition at Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown.

Indiana Borough Police Chief William Sutton said his detectives are trying to identify the suspect with help from a surveillance video at several bars in the Downtown area along Philadelphia Street, about four blocks from campus.

The shooting apparently stemmed from a confrontation between two groups of people at H.B. Culpeppers Bar at Philadelphia and Carpenter Avenue, a bar/restaurant sometimes frequented by university students.

Chief Sutton said the person police believe was the shooter became boisterous and argumentative with the group that included Mr. McCoy. Mr. McCoy and his friends did not respond, Chief Sutton said. Instead they left the bar, but encountered the other group again just after 2 a.m. outside another tavern called Coney Island.

When one of the friends of the boisterous man tried to calm things down, "a gun came out and was randomly shot. There was no evidence anyone was targeted," Chief Sutton said.

Mr. McCoy was shot once in the stomach. A bystander's pants leg was shot, but the person was uninjured. The shooter and his group fled.

Tavern owners are cooperating with the investigation and providing video. Chief Sutton said many bars in downtown Indiana have surveillance video inside and outside their establishments.

IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling said Mr. McCoy's parents are aware of the situation. University police sent an e-mail to students this morning informing them of the shooting.

"We're certainly continuing to support the parents and support Justin in any way we can," Ms. Fryling said. "We're really hoping and praying things go well."

Ms. Fryling did not know what year Mr. McCoy is in, but she said he is a criminology major.