A man was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after being shot a few blocks away from Cesar E. Chavez Park in Long Beach Wednesday night, according to police.

His injuries are so severe that homicide detectives have taken over the case, the LBPD said.

The gunfire was reported around 11 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of West Melrose Way, which is about two blocks east of the riverside park.

When police got there, they found a man who’d been shot in the upper body, Long Beach police spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria said.

She said detectives couldn’t immediately provide any details on a suspect or what lead up to the shooting.

“They are in the process of gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses, unfortunately we will not have another update until they complete their preliminary investigation,” Chavarria said.