Five people have been shot and injured in downtown Seattle, which is in close proximity to the anti-Trump protest location, Radio Sawa reported.

A gunman opened fire in downtown Seattle on Wednesday evening following an argument and wounded five people, one man critically.

The shooting did not appear to be connected to the anti-Trump demonstrations but instead stemmed from a personal argument, said Robert Merner, assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department. 

"It appears that some type of argument took place. This individual began to walk away from the crowd, then turned and fired into the crowd," Merner told reporters. 

He said the suspect then fled from the area on foot and remained at large more than an hour later.

The most seriously injured victim, a man, was rushed to nearby Harborview Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition on Wednesday night.

The other four victims, identified only as one woman and three men, all sustained non-life threatening wounds to their legs, police said. 

Thousands of people rallied in cities across the United States on Wednesday to protest against Trump's win, blasting his controversial campaign rhetoric against immigrants, Muslims and other groups.

Source: MENA