LEWISTON – Shots were fired inside a downtown apartment house late Thursday and police were searching for suspects believed to have sped off in a truck.

Nobody was hurt in the 10:30 p.m. shooting at 66 Shawmut St., but police who responded surrounded the building with weapons drawn.

When officers rushed inside the three-story tenement building, they found spent shell casings in a hallway and outside a second floor apartment.

Investigators said there were people inside the apartment when the shots were fired, but none of them were struck. It remained unclear if that specific apartment was targeted. Police said they found bullet shells near the apartment door.

“Right now, we’re trying to learn exactly what happened here,” said police Lt. Tom Avery.

Police did not say what type of gun was used.

The apartment where the shots were fired is at the corner of Shawmut and Pine streets. When police first arrived, they approached the building from all sides. Other officers searched between buildings on nearby streets, but no suspects were located.

Police were interviewing several people who live in the building and gathering evidence inside the tenement. No possible motive for the shooting was given.

Officers coming on for the overnight beat were given a description of a dark blue Chevrolet seen being driven away from Shawmut Street moments after the shots were fired. There were believed to be two men inside the Chevrolet Blazer-type vehicle. Other officers, following leads, were searching for the suspects at other addresses in Lewiston. None were immediately found.

Police detectives were joining the probe late Wednesday night.